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The Conversationalist

@conversationalist.org
14K followers 91 following 578 posts

We are a nonprofit feminist media outlet focused on solutions oriented journalism and global perspectives, from the personal to the political. conversationalist.org

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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 3h
"Overnight, I lost some of my capacity to think and write. After fighting to get it back, I cannot imagine choosing to give those faculties over to a machine." @marianneeloise.bsky.social's argument against AI.
conversationalist.org
In Defense of Difficulty
As someone who, overnight, lost some of their capacity to think and write, I cannot comprehend why a person would choose to give those faculties over to a machine.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 29/09/2026
We asked women working across different fields, countries, and cultural backgrounds a simple set of questions about how to be a better neighbor. One being: What does community mean to you? Here's what they said. Story by Kovie Biakolo and @loreleikelly.bsky.social.
conversationalist.org
How To Be a Better Neighbor
Women steeped in democracy work around the world share their thoughts on what we owe our shared future, and how we can all better contribute to our communities.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 28/09/2026
UPDATE: NEW DATE❗️ The U.S. midterm elections are coming up. Are you registered to vote? 🗳️ Join us Oct 8th from 7-7:45pm EST for a virtual Voting Ask Me Anything. Bring your questions and we’ll provide trustworthy answers from voting experts. Sign up here ➡️ docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 25/09/2026
Want to be a better tourist? Start by embracing Icelandic elf lore, like @marianneeloise.bsky.social did. "By having patience and respect for the places you visit, even when it requires a suspension of disbelief, you might open yourself up to a little magic."
conversationalist.org
I Didn’t Believe in Elves Until I Did
Want to be a better tourist? Start by embracing local lore.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 24/09/2026
The U.S. midterm elections are coming up. Are you registered to vote? 🗳️ Join us Oct 1st from 7-7:45pm EST for a virtual Voting Ask Me Anything. Bring your questions about voting and we’ll provide trustworthy answers from voting experts. Sign up here ➡️ docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 23/09/2026
"I believe it’s vital we go to these museums and face the evidence head on." A tour through Europe’s past—and what lessons we might learn from its museums to fight authoritarianism today. Story by @katiedd.bsky.social.
conversationalist.org
Warnings from the Museum
A tour through Europe’s past—and what lessons we might learn from its museums to fight authoritarianism today.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 21/09/2026
"Our department looked like an actual battlefield, with blood everywhere, and IV lines, syringes, and used equipment scattered about." A Palestinian nurse recounts an average shift at Gaza’s largest hospital in November 2023.
conversationalist.org
24 Hours in the Emergency Room at Al-Shifa Hospital
A Palestinian nurse recounts an average shift at Gaza’s largest hospital in November 2023.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 22/09/2026
Convo Reads from @vox.com about why we should be partying more: "We need nightlife to have these communal euphoric experiences and feel part of something bigger than ourselves."
vox.com
Why we should all be partying more
The historical case for partying it up, explained.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 21/09/2026
"Our department looked like an actual battlefield, with blood everywhere, and IV lines, syringes, and used equipment scattered about." A Palestinian nurse recounts an average shift at Gaza’s largest hospital in November 2023.
conversationalist.org
24 Hours in the Emergency Room at Al-Shifa Hospital
A Palestinian nurse recounts an average shift at Gaza’s largest hospital in November 2023.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 18/09/2026
Hayat Mohamed Obada Naser and Amal, with their children Rolan and Omar Ahmads (Original Ahmad, Child Ahmad) Suad Sisters Malak and Maali Majd Moataz Meet the friends of Fatima Ayub who are still trying to survive in Gaza.
conversationalist.org
To Live and Die in Gaza
Stories from my friends still trying to survive.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 17/09/2026
"Maybe the form of courage I can work towards is mirroring a sibling friendship built on healthy communication and respect, and taking chances, little by little, in trusting them with who I am."
conversationalist.org
Can Siblings Eventually Become Friends?
As my siblings and I become our own people, it’ll be up to us to determine whether and how our relationships will thrive or crumble from the foundations we were given.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 16/09/2026
“Seeing the cultural and artistic production of Nigerians once again revived my belief that hope must be a practice.” Kovie Biakolo on how Nigeria’s artists continue on despite the country's plethora of problems.
conversationalist.org
Where Nigeria’s Potential Meets Its Reality
In the face of the country’s plethora of problems, its artists continue on.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 15/09/2026
"When people don’t see, feel, and taste the whole flavor of produce, they also feel less encouraged to eat it. A mango that once grew on a tree, appears nature morte—a dead nature—in a plastic container, more like a granola bar than fruit. In Colombia, produce tasted intense and complex."
conversationalist.org
Food is Meant to Be Touched
Over-processed produce is disconnecting us from where food comes from.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 14/09/2026
Staff Reads from our Contributing Editor: "This essay, which focuses on A.I., explains much of the dissonance between all the A.I. news around us—including its devastating consequences—and the seemingly endless push for it all the same." Read more: pluralistic.net/2026/08/19/b...
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angryinch.bsky.social @angryinch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The art of story telling is integral to who we are as humans Our lives are stories, our relationships are stories Both the telling and listening are essential components to a meaningful life
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 11/09/2026
"For many in the African and Caribbean diaspora, oral tradition is a survival tool that is sharpened, exercised, and passed down through generations." For one writer, it encompasses family stories, beliefs, and customs that preserve history and can even inform where they are headed next.
conversationalist.org
My Family’s Wisdom Is My Inheritance
For many in the African and Caribbean diaspora, oral tradition is a survival tool passed down through generations. It is also largely sustained by women like my great-aunt Nerissa.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 10/09/2026
We asked women working across different fields, countries, and cultural backgrounds a simple set of questions: What does community mean to you? Here's what they said. Story by Kovie Biakolo and @loreleikelly.bsky.social share.
conversationalist.org
How To Be a Better Neighbor
Women seeped in democracy work around the world share their thoughts on what we owe our shared future, and how we can all better contribute to our communities.
088
The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 09/09/2026
Being a good community member feels fraught today, yet in the face of uncertainty, it has become all the more essential in the collective fight for a better tomorrow. Kovie Biakolo and @loreleikelly.bsky.social share their thoughts on what we owe our shared future in our latest story.
conversationalist.org
How To Be a Better Neighbor
Women seeped in democracy work around the world share their thoughts on what we owe our shared future, and how we can all better contribute to our communities.
020
The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 08/09/2026
Book of the Month 📚: "Piñen” by Daniela Catrileo "Much of the book explores the idea of collective memory, and the deep wound that colonialism leaves behind. It is also an exercise in how we might begin to correct and defy colonial narratives by uncovering the truth hidden beneath them."
conversationalist.org
Book of the Month: “Piñen” by Daniela Catrileo
A staggering and tender collection of short stories about Mapuche youth in modern day Chile.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 07/09/2026
Staff Reads from Executive Editor @ginamei.bsky.social: "Claire L. Evans continues to be one of the most infinitely readable tech writers in the game. Her latest feature is a trip!"
wired.com
AI Is Dead. Organoids Are Alive
Mini human brains are being grown in labs all over the world. Soon, they could outthink neural networks.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 05/09/2026
Convo Reads from @theflytrapmedia.com: @nicolefroio.bsky.social deep dives into the music industry, technofeudalism, and what it's doing to girly pop music.
theflytrapmedia.com
The Slop Machine is Taking Down the Pop Machine
Technofeudalism has stripped pop music of meaning.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 04/09/2026
For this week's newsletter, we’re turning the mic over to our summer intern, Allison Baker, who just wrapped up a season as a member of the Conversationalist team. Read about her path to journalism and her passion for the WNBA. ➡️ mailchi.mp/conversation...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 04/09/2026
"For many in the African and Caribbean diaspora, oral tradition is a survival tool that is sharpened, exercised, and passed down through generations." For one writer, it encompasses family stories, beliefs, and customs that preserve history and can even inform where they are headed next.
conversationalist.org
My Family’s Wisdom Is My Inheritance
For many in the African and Caribbean diaspora, oral tradition is a survival tool passed down through generations. It is also largely sustained by women like my great-aunt Nerissa.
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angryinch.bsky.social @angryinch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Brightside, in my home town Powells in Portland - great memories there
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 03/09/2026
What's your favorite bookstore?
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 02/09/2026
Contributing Editor Kovie Biakolo reflects on her own Urhobo culture and the aunties that keep Nigerian traditions alive in our podcast. Listen here 🎙️: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 02/09/2026
"It could be said that the art world needs to touch grass, but I would argue it needs to touch hardwood." In this Cultural Currency, Cara Marsh Sheffler writes about what the art world can learn from the New York Knicks (and other jocks)—a spontaneous sense of togetherness and real connection.
conversationalist.org
Y’all Ready for This?
What the art world can learn from the jocks.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 01/09/2026
Writer Spotlight: @sesmith.lol 🔆 s. e. smith is a journalist, author, and critic who explores topics around labor, disability, feminism, and more. They're also a co-founder of @theflytrapmedia.com, a feminist media collective focused on criticism against the algorithm. Some story highlights:
conversationalist.org
The United States of Eugenics
Under Trump, the ideology is on the rise. But ultimately, eliminating eugenic beliefs from our shared society may require dismantling the United States itself.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 01/09/2026
“Building cyberdecks, many off-grid, can allow women and girls to feel safe, because it allows them to disconnect from the online spaces where abusers most often reach them.” Why women around the world are building their own DIY computers. Story by @nicolefroio.bsky.social.
conversationalist.org
The Politics of Cyberdecks
Why women around the world are building their own DIY computers.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 31/08/2026
Staff Reads from our Executive Director: "If you’re mourning Dolly like the rest of us, it’s time to listen (or re-listen) to Dolly Parton’s America, a nine-part podcast from WNYC that originally came out in 2019. It explores feminism, faith, politics, and of course Dolly herself."
wnycstudios.org
Dolly Parton's America : Episodes | WNYC Studios | Podcasts
The story of a legend at the crossroads of America’s culture wars.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 28/08/2026
Book of the Month 📚: "Piñen” by Daniela Catrileo "Much of the book explores the idea of collective memory, and the deep wound that colonialism leaves behind. It is also an exercise in how we might begin to correct and defy colonial narratives by uncovering the truth hidden beneath them."
conversationalist.org
Book of the Month: “Piñen” by Daniela Catrileo
A staggering and tender collection of short stories about Mapuche youth in modern day Chile.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 27/08/2026
"It wasn't until I was in my adulthood and even my recent adulthood that I really started thinking about the concept of auntie as something that could apply to me." Educator and writer Lisa Sibbett discusses all things aunties in our podcast. Listen here 🎙️: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 26/08/2026
Dolly Parton 🤍 🎥: @femalequotient.bsky.social
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 26/08/2026
Nonprofit Spotlight 🔆: Women Moving Millions @womenmovingmillions.org is a global community of philanthropists who each commit at least $1 million to advance gender equality. They celebrate the intersectional identities of all who identify as women.
womenmovingmillions.org
Home
We are a global community of women philanthropists who have collectively committed over $1 billion to advance women and girls.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 25/08/2026
It’s time for K-pop to reckon with its relationship to Blackness. "If the genre wants to reach its full cultural potential, it will also have to reckon with its relationship not only to idols of color, but xenophobia towards idols outside of Korea, once and for all."
conversationalist.org
The Globalization of K-Pop
As the genre continues to diversify, it’s time for K-pop to reckon with its relationship to Blackness.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 25/08/2026
"A mirror might be an innocuous part of your life, but for most of mine, it was filled with the unknown." Growing up, Allison Baker was afraid to look in the mirror. But with the help of friends, she finally saw the woman looking back. This is how one writer learned to embrace her trans identity.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 24/08/2026
Staff Reads from Newsletter Editor @mrsslrss.bsky.social: "I enjoyed thinking through this essay about taste—how Big Tech wants to capitalize on it, how it's shaped by class and access, and how developing our own unique, idiosyncratic versions of it can actually bring us closer to each other."
asteriskmag.com
Why We Like Things
What Silicon Valley gets wrong about taste.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 21/08/2026
In this week's newsletter, the political (and personal) power of delight. Read it now ✉️: mailchi.mp/conversation...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 21/08/2026
“Building cyberdecks, many off-grid, can allow women and girls to feel safe, because it allows them to disconnect from the online spaces where abusers most often reach them.” Why women around the world are building their own DIY computers. Story by @nicolefroio.bsky.social.
conversationalist.org
The Politics of Cyberdecks
Why women around the world are building their own DIY computers.
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nicole froio @nicolefroio.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I wrote about how the girlies are making cyberdecks for @conversationalist.org, and why that's tackling a multitude of tech-related issues all at once: conversationalist.org/2026/08/20/c...
conversationalist.org
The Politics of Cyberdecks
Why women around the world are building their own DIY computers.
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s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 20/08/2026
Really enjoyed this @conversationalist.org read on K-Pop's long-overdue reckoning with anti-Blackness.
conversationalist.org
The Globalization of K-Pop
As the genre continues to diversify, it’s time for K-pop to reckon with its relationship to Blackness.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 20/08/2026
“I’m not perfect, because nobody is—especially when our food and agricultural systems make it near impossible to make faultless ethical choices. But my imperfection is also what allows my beliefs to evolve and adapt: Without room to falter, we can’t have space to grow.”
conversationalist.org
Practice Not Perfection
With my veganism and other important belief systems in my life, I’ve decided that being imperfect is better than abandoning my morals altogether.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 19/08/2026
It’s time for K-pop to reckon with its relationship to Blackness. "If the genre wants to reach its full cultural potential, it will also have to reckon with its relationship not only to idols of color, but xenophobia towards idols outside of Korea, once and for all."
conversationalist.org
The Globalization of K-Pop
As the genre continues to diversify, it’s time for K-pop to reckon with its relationship to Blackness.
032
The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 18/08/2026
Have you ever had a friend who is three or four decades older than you? Erin Zimmer Strenio thinks there’s something magical about the comfort and interconnectedness of an intergenerational friendship.
conversationalist.org
Everyone Needs an Intergenerational Friendship
There’s something magical about the comfort and interconnectedness that comes with befriending someone a few decades older.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 17/08/2026
Staff Reads from our Social Media Manager: "As someone who is glued to their Google Maps while going literally anywhere, I found this New Yorker piece about what we've lost by relying on digital navigation fascinating. Maybe I should go mapless and get lost more often."
newyorker.com
How G.P.S. Changed the Way We Think
A new book, “Little Blue Dot,” by Katherine Dunn, raises questions about the unintended consequences of knowing where we are.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 15/08/2026
Convo Reads by @msmagazine.com: "Four years after Dobbs, the next battle over abortion access is centered on protecting the clinicians who provide medication abortion through telemedicine."
msmagazine.com
Antiabortion Extremists Can't Target Abortion Pill Prescribers If They Don't Know Their Names
Four years after the fall of <em>Roe</em>, telemedicine is not just a convenience. For thousands of women, it is the best or only option. Telemedicine’s success means that antiabortion threats have…
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 14/08/2026
Beyond the classroom, a teacher-student friendship can be one of the best and most enduring kinds there is. “Sometimes I think the term ‘friend’ doesn’t quite do our relationship justice, though. Not because of our age difference or the deep respect I continue to feel for her as my former teacher.”
conversationalist.org
Friendship as a Second Language
Beyond the classroom and in real life, a teacher-student friendship can be one of the best and most enduring kinds there is.
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 13/08/2026
"It could be said that the art world needs to touch grass, but I would argue it needs to touch hardwood." In this Cultural Currency, Cara Marsh Sheffler writes about what the art world can learn from the New York Knicks (and other jocks)—a spontaneous sense of togetherness and real connection.
conversationalist.org
Y’all Ready for This?
What the art world can learn from the jocks.
031
The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 13/08/2026
"It could be said that the art world needs to touch grass, but I would argue it needs to touch hardwood." In this Cultural Currency, Cara Marsh Sheffler writes about what the art world can learn from the New York Knicks (and other jocks)—a spontaneous sense of togetherness and real connection.
conversationalist.org
Y’all Ready for This?
What the art world can learn from the jocks.
031
The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 12/08/2026
Writer Spotlight 🔆: Board Member and writer @careyjones.bsky.social was interviewed by The New Yorker about why it's essential to fund women's health research. Through her own crowdfunding efforts, she ultimately raised nearly $1.5 million for the cause.
newyorker.com
Can Extreme Morning Sickness Be Cured?
For decades, the condition was thought to be psychological, and women were shamed for their illness. Now a scientist has found a biological cause.
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