Vanessa Valor
@vbdelacruz.bsky.social
writer/poet/artist. work found in carve, puerto del sol, meat for tea, and puro chicanx writers of the 21st century
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
this is also a good time to remember: if you need help feeding your pet, there's a really good chance that your local rescue &/or SPCA is giving away pet food rn; they know times are hard all around and no one should have to decide between feeding themselves or feeding their pets
Not me bursting into tears because the guy at the grocery store is buying 40 cans of Fancy Feast turkey and gravy for his feral cat rescue Thanksgiving dinner 🥹
November 25, 2025 at 7:54 PM
this is also a good time to remember: if you need help feeding your pet, there's a really good chance that your local rescue &/or SPCA is giving away pet food rn; they know times are hard all around and no one should have to decide between feeding themselves or feeding their pets
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I see the book piracy discourse is going around again and all I can say is I know more than one writer producing acclaimed work that is considering jacking it in or reducing the amount they write because they don't make to justify it vs a job job.
It's not only piracy, but piracy is costing us art.
It's not only piracy, but piracy is costing us art.
November 24, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I see the book piracy discourse is going around again and all I can say is I know more than one writer producing acclaimed work that is considering jacking it in or reducing the amount they write because they don't make to justify it vs a job job.
It's not only piracy, but piracy is costing us art.
It's not only piracy, but piracy is costing us art.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
I think I have less tolerance for the "piracy is okay if you're poor" thing because I am very poor, I've had a few rough years in a row atop a few rough decades (I am possibly only breathing because y'all did that big fundraiser for my birthday last year, which I'm still paying vet bills with).
November 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
I think I have less tolerance for the "piracy is okay if you're poor" thing because I am very poor, I've had a few rough years in a row atop a few rough decades (I am possibly only breathing because y'all did that big fundraiser for my birthday last year, which I'm still paying vet bills with).
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
Every photo of ICE detaining someone is a bunch of dudes dressed for war violently taking down someone’s grandma or a restaurant worker. They cover their faces because they know how cowardly and disgusting they look.
November 22, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Every photo of ICE detaining someone is a bunch of dudes dressed for war violently taking down someone’s grandma or a restaurant worker. They cover their faces because they know how cowardly and disgusting they look.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
Forever inspired to write when in the woods or driving a car, never when the laptop is open in front of me.
November 8, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Forever inspired to write when in the woods or driving a car, never when the laptop is open in front of me.
Part of me is still in denial about having chronic health issues and I'm always telling myself it's not that bad and it could be worse (and it really could be!)
But then I have a bad symptom day and I'm like "Hm. Some people actually go through life w/o feeling like this?
Fascinating. Revelatory."
But then I have a bad symptom day and I'm like "Hm. Some people actually go through life w/o feeling like this?
Fascinating. Revelatory."
November 7, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Part of me is still in denial about having chronic health issues and I'm always telling myself it's not that bad and it could be worse (and it really could be!)
But then I have a bad symptom day and I'm like "Hm. Some people actually go through life w/o feeling like this?
Fascinating. Revelatory."
But then I have a bad symptom day and I'm like "Hm. Some people actually go through life w/o feeling like this?
Fascinating. Revelatory."
Finally found a good routine for staggering my morning medications so that my morning throw up session is now mainly just manageable nausea that fades halfway through the morning.
Which means I'm now eyeing a new medication warily wondering where I'm going to slot it in w/I upsetting the balance
Which means I'm now eyeing a new medication warily wondering where I'm going to slot it in w/I upsetting the balance
November 7, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Finally found a good routine for staggering my morning medications so that my morning throw up session is now mainly just manageable nausea that fades halfway through the morning.
Which means I'm now eyeing a new medication warily wondering where I'm going to slot it in w/I upsetting the balance
Which means I'm now eyeing a new medication warily wondering where I'm going to slot it in w/I upsetting the balance
Idk man, I should be able to claim my cat as a dependent
November 7, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Idk man, I should be able to claim my cat as a dependent
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Imagine being so dedicated to stealing people's healthcare that you let letters telling them that their premiums were about to spike by 100-500% go out 3 days before an election, while you were also trying to starve 40 million people to bully the other party into letting you steal the healthcare.
November 5, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Imagine being so dedicated to stealing people's healthcare that you let letters telling them that their premiums were about to spike by 100-500% go out 3 days before an election, while you were also trying to starve 40 million people to bully the other party into letting you steal the healthcare.
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The thing about rationing healthcare that is unlike rationing most other things is that the people who need healthcare didn't choose to need healthcare and do not get a choice in how they can economize, or not, on healthcare
November 4, 2025 at 1:07 PM
The thing about rationing healthcare that is unlike rationing most other things is that the people who need healthcare didn't choose to need healthcare and do not get a choice in how they can economize, or not, on healthcare
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
A truth that I have had to accept is that, as an American, there are a lot of people that don’t mind paying money to bomb strangers, but would throw a fit if that same money was used to help their own neighbors.
October 31, 2025 at 9:00 PM
A truth that I have had to accept is that, as an American, there are a lot of people that don’t mind paying money to bomb strangers, but would throw a fit if that same money was used to help their own neighbors.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
It would be great if I could get my health insurance renewal letter before the looming cloud of dread caused by eight million 'your health insurance premiums are going up' articles and frankly the jump scare from those letters might push people to demand that their legislators take action.
October 16, 2025 at 2:18 PM
It would be great if I could get my health insurance renewal letter before the looming cloud of dread caused by eight million 'your health insurance premiums are going up' articles and frankly the jump scare from those letters might push people to demand that their legislators take action.
When I was younger, I used to dream about being rich and owning a cute house with chickens and cats.
Now I dream about my azathioprine not costing 400 plus WITH insurance and pray that the applications for med coupons go through.
To have health problems in this country is to be in debt.
Now I dream about my azathioprine not costing 400 plus WITH insurance and pray that the applications for med coupons go through.
To have health problems in this country is to be in debt.
October 9, 2025 at 6:48 PM
When I was younger, I used to dream about being rich and owning a cute house with chickens and cats.
Now I dream about my azathioprine not costing 400 plus WITH insurance and pray that the applications for med coupons go through.
To have health problems in this country is to be in debt.
Now I dream about my azathioprine not costing 400 plus WITH insurance and pray that the applications for med coupons go through.
To have health problems in this country is to be in debt.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
Someone told me recently that part of the writing process is THINKING about writing. Nobody sits and writes immediately at the computer. And I wish they had told me that 3 years ago when this all started and I was feeling anxious, lazy, and ashamed of NOT doing so
But its true. Let your mind THINK.
But its true. Let your mind THINK.
October 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Someone told me recently that part of the writing process is THINKING about writing. Nobody sits and writes immediately at the computer. And I wish they had told me that 3 years ago when this all started and I was feeling anxious, lazy, and ashamed of NOT doing so
But its true. Let your mind THINK.
But its true. Let your mind THINK.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
My radical views are that I’d prefer to pay for healthcare for all and food for everyone than have my tax dollars support genocide, ICE, and the bank accounts of the super wealthy.
October 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
My radical views are that I’d prefer to pay for healthcare for all and food for everyone than have my tax dollars support genocide, ICE, and the bank accounts of the super wealthy.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
My chronic illness curse is I overcompensate because I feel guilty for not “doing enough” which makes people think I’m *way* more capable of doing stuff than I actually am, so they ask for more, so I feel more guilty, so I overcompensate more. It’s a real mystery why I keep crashing!
October 1, 2025 at 6:29 PM
My chronic illness curse is I overcompensate because I feel guilty for not “doing enough” which makes people think I’m *way* more capable of doing stuff than I actually am, so they ask for more, so I feel more guilty, so I overcompensate more. It’s a real mystery why I keep crashing!
Got two punch biopsies today and I'm having fun trying not to lay down on the side where the stitches are. By fun I mean not fun.
At least this is the last out of town medical appt for the next couple of months and I get to go home to my cat tomorrow
At least this is the last out of town medical appt for the next couple of months and I get to go home to my cat tomorrow
September 23, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Got two punch biopsies today and I'm having fun trying not to lay down on the side where the stitches are. By fun I mean not fun.
At least this is the last out of town medical appt for the next couple of months and I get to go home to my cat tomorrow
At least this is the last out of town medical appt for the next couple of months and I get to go home to my cat tomorrow
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
There’s a way to be respectful in reporting on Charlie Kirk being shot while also refusing to whitewash who he was and what consequences his political activism has had. Obituaries for public figures are a part of history.
September 10, 2025 at 8:59 PM
There’s a way to be respectful in reporting on Charlie Kirk being shot while also refusing to whitewash who he was and what consequences his political activism has had. Obituaries for public figures are a part of history.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
Harvard can't use someone's race to decide if they are going to be a student, but ICE can use a student's race to decide if they are going to detain/incarcerate them.
According to the Supreme Court, race can only be a factor if you want hurt, not help, someone.
According to the Supreme Court, race can only be a factor if you want hurt, not help, someone.
September 9, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Harvard can't use someone's race to decide if they are going to be a student, but ICE can use a student's race to decide if they are going to detain/incarcerate them.
According to the Supreme Court, race can only be a factor if you want hurt, not help, someone.
According to the Supreme Court, race can only be a factor if you want hurt, not help, someone.
Wrote a really good poem right before I fell asleep last night. Except I forgot to actually write it down.
September 10, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Wrote a really good poem right before I fell asleep last night. Except I forgot to actually write it down.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
Authors: If you found out that your publisher(s) failed to register with the U.S. Copyright Office, we can help. We provide ongoing legal assistance to our members and advocate for their work, particularly in the face of ongoing AI-related theft.
I am lightly horrified by how many people have now looked up their books and found out their publishers (who often were required contractually!!!!) just... didn't register the copyrights on books. Not all of them! Just sporadically!
This is not just one publisher, I've seen all the big ones now.
This is not just one publisher, I've seen all the big ones now.
Today is the day authors are learning how many of their publishers straight up blew off registering copyright and I feel like that deserves a class action suit of its own if it costs everyone their settlement money from the Anthropic suit... 😒🤬
August 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Authors: If you found out that your publisher(s) failed to register with the U.S. Copyright Office, we can help. We provide ongoing legal assistance to our members and advocate for their work, particularly in the face of ongoing AI-related theft.
Reposted by Vanessa Valor
“What would Jesus do about a healthcare system that forces the sick to start GoFundMe pages to afford life-saving surgeries?”
August 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
“What would Jesus do about a healthcare system that forces the sick to start GoFundMe pages to afford life-saving surgeries?”
I'm turning 30 today. 🎉
I've been looking forward to this ever since watching "13 Going on 30"
Here's to finally being "thirty, flirty and thriving."
I've been looking forward to this ever since watching "13 Going on 30"
Here's to finally being "thirty, flirty and thriving."
August 15, 2025 at 12:54 PM
I'm turning 30 today. 🎉
I've been looking forward to this ever since watching "13 Going on 30"
Here's to finally being "thirty, flirty and thriving."
I've been looking forward to this ever since watching "13 Going on 30"
Here's to finally being "thirty, flirty and thriving."
Chronic illness peeps: what do you do when you're short on PTO but still have a billion medical appts coming up?
August 4, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Chronic illness peeps: what do you do when you're short on PTO but still have a billion medical appts coming up?