About
Charlotte Stephanie Malerich (that’s me) works and writes near the District of Columbia.
Writing
Mainly, I write long fiction that can be broadly classified as fantasy. That’s for a few reasons. 1) Folklore and mythology strongly influence my work. 2) I like physics and chemistry but some of the finer points escape me and it’s easier to just write “it’s magic” than “Once fission was initiated, the neutrons from the fission of the rod combined with the lithium-deuterate to produce tritium and deuterium. The high temperatures and pressures caused the deuterium and tritium to fuse, which produced helium, high heat, X-rays and neutrons; the bomb exploded and released heat, X-rays and neutrons.”
And 3) I do not like the world as it is. Writing imaginatively lets me think through how it might be different. Gender, race, class, and species come up a lot in my writing, subtly or overtly. So I write fantasy because stories are “objects to think with,” and, because stories (if nothing else) are enjoyable, they are healthy and creative and easy ways for human beings to relate to one another and the world around us.
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Sharon Richards Said:
on June 29, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Hi, more of a question than a comment. I’ve read this, http://csmalerich.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/vegan-catholic.pdf and wondered if you are still a practicing Catholic. I am a vegan Catholic and found your article very encouraging especially with so much opposition in the church. Many thanks.
csmalerich Said:
on June 29, 2014 at 10:13 pm
Hi Sharon,
It’s interesting you ask, because I’ve been thinking about posting something about this. The short answer is, I am no longer Catholic and I consider myself an atheist. That said, I do appreciate your comment and I’m glad the article is helpful for you — because I do think vegans need as much support as we can get.
Cheers,
Charlotte
Sharon Said:
on June 30, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Hi Charlotte,
Thank you for getting back to me. I guess I am not surprised that you left the church. There are so many of the dogmas that I find hard to swallow. Including the, ‘Body and blood of Christ’. I don’t think it is the place for me either.
Best wishes,
Sharon
csmalerich Said:
on June 30, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Yes, the Church leaders do not make it easy for progressive folks to stay, though I can imagine some people on the other side saying the same thing. I think I stopped going to church because I stopped feeling I needed it. I found community and connections in other ways.
Have you read Zealot by Reza Aslan? That was helpful for me. It’s a very clear look at Jesus as a historical person. It clarified for me that Jesus was in fact the kind of person I would very much like to support and model myself after (minus the Jewish nationalism); it also clarified for me that Jesus is not unique in that regard, which I find even more hopeful that imagining him as a once-in-two-millenia, god-on-earth kind of guy. There are lots of people who have spoken up about injustice, in solidarity with the poorest and most marginalized people, and sparked social movements. Having role models isn’t quite the same as having faith in a god, but for me, it’s a surer foundation for life and much more adaptable to a changing universe than organized religion.
All best to you!
Sharon Said:
on July 2, 2014 at 10:58 am
Hi Charlotte,
I have read ‘No God but God’ by Reza Aslan and watched lectures by him. He is very good! I will try and get a copy of Zealot. I too believe Jesus is worth imitating/following, as is Thich Nhat Hanh, the vegan Buddhist who founded the Mindfulness Center – Plumb Village, in France. It is such a great example of how the world could be. And as you say there have been, and are many others, though not all get there names in the head lines or are worshiped as God.
Great talking to you,
Take care,
Sharon
thatssojacob Said:
on May 16, 2015 at 6:36 pm
Hello Charlotte! I’ve decided to read and follow 10 interesting and new blogs a day every day of May 2015, and yours is today’s #7! Feel free to come visit me when you can at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com, and follow if you like what you read. Happy blogging!