On History Redux for a Squee

Gromit Reading Avatar

Well, I’m happy that this 365 Days worth of Squee is off to a great start. I’m in the middle of unpacking my library, stumbling on the books I’ve been pulling together for my alternate history novel, when I realized something.

I am very lucky.

I say this again: I am very lucky. I have had some *great* educators over the years, from an American history professor I had to the T.A. who was studying Viking archaeology. In college, what did I know? Not much. I didn’t really fully understand cultural appropriation, Western imperialism, or how history books I’d read were so one-sided–I was too inexperienced to I think. Suspected? Yes. Years later, *now* I understand some things about these pretty heady topics, because I’ve intentionally put the time in to find various perspectives for a lot of reasons, both personally and professionally.

The truth is, I love history because there’s so many powerful and emotional stories there–some that make me cry, laugh, get angry, scratch my head, throw my fist in the air, and drop my jaw with amazement. I could be wrong, but I’m of the mind that empathy can be learned by understanding the atrocities of the past and listening to the voices who dared to speak of them so we don’t repeat these events in the future. I see that history is a lot more complex and real than what it often gets distilled into, and I reflexively want to find out more from both sides–even if it makes me uncomfortable–so I have more stories to read and, by way of research, more stories to tell.

This has been a transformative squee, brought to you by thinking about what inspires me.

12/365

    Mood: I’m… Getting… Better!
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Working on my second cup.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: STILL yping like mad!
    In My Ears: Fish tank.
    Game Last Played: Age of Reckoning: Kingdoms of Amalur
    Book Last Read: The Crimson Affair by Lilith Saintcrow
    Movie Last Viewed: Good Morning, Vietnam
    Latest Artistic Project: My cat ate my Halloween decorations
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing. See also: need to write more flipping comics and exercise my art skillz again. Feh.
    Latest Game Release: Hunter the Vigil: Mortal Remains
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work, original comics, and novels.


September 12, 2014
, 365 Days of Squee



Monica Valentinelli is an author, artist, and narrative designer who writes about magic, mystery, and mayhem. Her portfolio includes stories, games, comics, essays, and pop culture books.

In addition to her own worlds, she has worked on a number of different properties including Vampire: the Masquerade, Shadowrun, Hunter: the Vigil, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, and Robert E. Howard’s Conan.

Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

Want to Interview or Hire Me? Send Fan Mail?

Would you like to hire me? Don’t be afraid to reach out! Visit my Contact Page to send me an email. I typically respond to work-related e-mails within one-to-two business days.

Want an interview? If you’d like to interview me or request a guest blog post, please submit your request through theContact Page.

Back to Top