Beth Riungu – Medium

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Beth Riungu
in
Age of Empathy

Friends in Hard Places: A Family and City in Decline

Finding small comfort when dreams are kicked to the curb

7 min readFeb 23, 2024

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Dilapidated, 2 or 3-story stone buildings with blank windows — one houses a fish & chip shop called ‘Salt and Vinegar’, another a Chinese takeout. An indistinct person walks along the pavement in front. At the bottom of the picture, bright yellow double-lines edge the tarmac road and underline the curb.

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Beth Riungu
in
The Writing Cooperative

How Liz Gilbert Made Me Get a Tattoo and Become a ‘Real’ Writer

Reinventing myself called for a serious commitment to playfulness

7 min readApr 15, 2024

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Selfie taken in my bathroom mirror, phone covers my lower face but my eyes look happily surprised. Wearing a grey tanktop that reveals my tattoo of a crow with flowers.

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Beth Riungu

My Writing Sorted by Theme

I write in a diverse array of niches. This library is the easiest way to find the essays you’ll enjoy.

3 min readFeb 4, 2024

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My Writing Sorted by Theme

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Beth Riungu
in
Grief Book Club

Unproud Moments in Bankers Boxes

A poem

2 min readMay 1, 2024

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Long, white clapboard house with 3 chimneys, the side is covered by a painting of the upper body of a black woman — eyes closed, hand reaching up to pluck a miracle, a blue butterfly at her throat chakra, and a gold halo behind her head.

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Beth Riungu
in
Age of Empathy

Code-Switching for Play and Knife Fights

I learned early that how you speak matters as much as what you say and sometimes it’s safer to play chameleon

6 min readApr 25, 2024

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A larger-life bronze statue of a boy on a rocking horse, on a white plinth, background of winter-blue sky and a gold-brown bed of reeds

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Beth Riungu
in
The Writing Cooperative

Why Being a Voyeur is Great for Creative Writing

Take a seat at the peep show of life and maximize your powers of observation

5 min readApr 25, 2024

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concrete gray sculpture of a man in swimming trunks perches high atop a giant metal cage filled with discarded beach chairs, the cage is 30 feet (10m) high so he is silhouetted against the sky

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Beth Riungu
in
Six Word Photo Story Challenge

Spring Cleaning My Psyche

April Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Reflect”

2 min readApr 20, 2024

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A brown-skin woman gazes at her reflection in a multi-faceted mirror against a white-paneled background. She wears a denim jacket and holds a cellphone camera with a bright floral case. Pieces of her face repeat and ripple out like an aura.

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Beth Riungu
in
The Writing Cooperative

How to Ditch the Blah of AI and Stock Photos

The header is prime reader engagement real estate so the image you choose should match the creativity of your writing.

10 min readApr 9, 2024

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How to Ditch the Blah of AI and Stock Photos

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Beth Riungu
in
Imogene’s Notebook

When the Rose Loses Its Name

A short story

7 min readMar 25, 2024

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Wild roses losing their petals and rose hips, against a torn background revealing printed text — shadow of a young person’s face, looking caught out

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Beth Riungu
in
Modern Women

Drinking in Glamor on the Rocks

We’re told it looks cool but the glamorization of alcohol is problematic, especially for women.

7 min readMar 12, 2024

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A fancy glass with liquor on the rocks, a smear of lipstick on the rim. Beside it is scrawled the word ‘enough’

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Beth Riungu

Beth Riungu

Friend of Medium

Essayist with uncommon takes on life. Also, death doula, military mom, lover of good food and travel, contemporary art and photography.

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