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Pleasure Practices with Sami Schalk: Take a break

Say no when you have to—and see you next month.

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Pleasure Practices
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January 19, 2024
An illustration shows the face of the column's author, Dr. Sami Schalk, smiling against a rainbow background. In the foreground are a sandwich, a cup holding a steaming hot beverage, and a stack of books on which the text "Pleasure Practices with Sami Schalk" appears. Two candles sit on top of the books. Illustration by Rodney Lambright II.
Illustration by Rodney Lambright II.

Say no when you have to—and see you next month.

This is our newsletter-first column, Microtones. It runs on the site on Fridays, but you can get it in your inbox on Thursdays by signing up for our email newsletter.

This month’s pleasure practice is taking a break. Sometimes, badass bitches are overwhelmed, overworked, and just need to take a break. 

In Pleasure Activism, adrienne maree brown writes, “Your no makes the way for your yes. Boundaries create the container within which your yes is authentic. Being able to say no makes yes a choice.”

This month, dear readers, I’m saying no to producing something about pleasure when I’m not feeling it. I’m taking a break and I hope you will too. Whatever that looks like for you: cancel plans, say no to something you don’t want to do, or refuse to schedule or commit to anything new for a while. I’ll see you next month, you badass bitches with boundaries.

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Author
Sami Schalk

Sami Schalk is an associate professor of Gender & Women’s Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction (Duke University Press 2018). Schalk is a fat Black queer disabled pleasure activist who loves fashion, cursing, and writing.

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