Thank You To Everyone
By: Reuben Salsa
Tags: Salsa, Year In Review, Writing, Ideas, The Bad Influence

January

Adeline Dimond kickstarted 2020 with this thought-provoking nine-minute read. The mission, to spark political discourse.

February

I like articles that challenge conventional views and this one by Emme Beckett certainly dropped a few jaws! “I’m a whore, not a plumber,” states Emme. Love it.

March

By March, we were all knee-deep in the pandemic and Medium switched to an all-out info war for Covid. There was no end to the relentless tide of Covid articles. Fortunately, Ena Dahl piqued everyone’s interest with her knife fetish. I’m continually in awe of Ena and her empowering displays of sexuality. This article literally cut through the mire.

April

It was all about the hot sauce in April as TBI embraced our sex writers. There were so many great posts, we couldn’t keep up! From Yael Wolfe getting naked for her art, Emme Beckett pooping her bed, or Demeter deLune wanting sex with another man. For me, the highlight was this beautiful post from Alex Woodroe wanting nothing more than love from her father. Poignant and heartbreaking.

May

For a while, this story was all anyone saw in the trending section, and rightly so. Phoenix Cocklove’s powerful post about a marriage crumbling broke many hearts. The sadness evoked when she simply states “He used to notice everything” is gut-wrenching. Sadly, this was to be one of Phoenix’s last articles as by August she promptly disappeared. Come back Phoenix, we miss you!

June

Joe Duncan is a writer I greatly admire. He holds nothing back and refuses to dumb-down for an audience. His work often dives deep into the emotional state of a man where no subject is taboo. But it’s his political discourse that really floats my boat. This barnstorming piece on police brutality was nothing short of epic. (Do check out his comical Guide to Tinder for a lighter side of Joe!)

July

TBI owes a massive debt to one of our early champions and Editor, Edward Anderson. His written reports on true crimes are a joy to read. Well researched and filled with drama, Ed knows how to weave a tale. Here’s Ed retelling the story of President Harding. Great stuff.

August

It’s hard to choose between these two political articles. Both were filled with gravitas and explored the nature and response from society. I love articles like this and Pete Ross and Tré Ventour brought the fire. Articles that challenge the status quo and INCITE!

In between these two was TBI’s dear friend and all-around lovable rogue, Ryan Fan. He graced us with two stories that brought a lighter, irreverent note and worth another mention with his ugly cars and top writing badges.

September

Linda Caroll fights back against ageism. This was a spectacular piece of writing that fired shots at the ‘woke’ crowd and people slinging generalizations. Linda is an awesome writer. It’s the way she breaks down the attitudes of the millennial and blindsided them with fierce logic! A definite highlight of the year!

October

It took me a long time to gather the courage and ask Jessica Wildfire to write for TBI. Like many, I’m simply in awe of her talent and grateful she submitted to the TBI cause! I like to think your humble editor from New Zealand was the inspiration behind this piece. And yes, I gushed for a week or two!

November

This was a toss-up between Joanna Henderson’s open letter to Trump supporters and Tracy Stengel’s attempts to not get a complex! I love the lighter side to both of these articles. Here’s Tracy trying to convince her mom to read her work.

December

Oh my god! December has awakened so many new and exciting writers for TBI. It’ll be an injustice not to mention a few here. GrayMatter is always a must-read! His mental health articles are filled with emotion and longing for self-discovery. Hogan Torah challenges everything and fits snugly in the TBI family like an impromptu flash mob at your grandad’s funeral. Rozali Telbis and Stephanie Tolk both hit hard with their take on society and finally a mention to long-serving fan favorite, M. C. Frances and MonalisaSmiled.