I try to make sure that this newsletter is something more than just a collection of links to click—plenty of people on the Internet do a very god job curating it for us. But there are often small things I want to reflect on or share. Think of this space as a bulletin board of sorts—I am pinning up things worth remembering and looking back to. Like much of my life, it’s inspired by this quote from Louisa May Alcott:
“Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can.”
Worth Reading
A pep talk for writing and all of life, from poet Maggie Smith.
On being an oasis of calm, From Kari Leibowitz. (Kari’s email newsletter, which is all about learning to embrace winter, is one of my favorites this time of year.)
“50 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way.” I don’t love everything on this list, but “the specific is universal,” etc etc.
Alternative versions of the Lord’s Prayer. In the same way that reading different translations of Scripture highlights different nuances and disrupts our familiarity with the text, I found it so worthwhile to read and pray through these different versions of the Lord’s prayer.
I have read 10 books so far this year! This is a really fast pace for me, and I don’t think I’ll continue reading at that rate. (February has already slowed down compared to January). Here’s what I’ve read so far, and here is what I’m currently reading.
My favorite book so far this year was Hello Beautiful, the January pick for the Indianapolis Moms Book Club. I loved this book with my whole heart—it is an all-time favorite read, and will absolutely be one of the best books I read this year. I hope to write a more detailed review and reflection on it soon!
Surprising Me
I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed the Grammys. Mostly, it was a celebration of women. (Of course, there were men being honored—men whose names contain a J [Jay-Z, Billy Joel, Jon Batiste, Jack Antonoff] + Luke Combs.) But all of the major awards given out during the television broadcast (except for Jay-Z’s lifetime achievement award) were won by women.
I loved that Taylor Swift has absolutely no chill about anything. I loved that Annie Lennox gave the kind of tribute to Sinead O’Connor that Sinead would have wanted. I loved the way the crowd applauded Tracy Chapman, and how Luke Combs clearly knew how special it was for him to be performing with her and directed the applause to her. I loved Joni Mitchell, of course, and I love her special relationship with Brandi Carlile.
I always love the connections between things, people, stories, pieces of art. Every award show tries to honor the history of its medium, but that’s hard to do with movies and television because they are longer-form pieces. We can’t watch more than a clip or two of a movie, which doesn’t convey all that much. Music shows like the Grammys are unique in their ability to bring disparate people and pieces of art together in one place, for us to consume and enjoy. We can listen to a whole song before the next commercial break, and that makes the whole show more enjoyable and meaningful.
(I’m sure I don’t even need to tell you how excited I am for Taylor’s new album.)
Life-Giving:
Getting off Instagram. I took January off Instagram. As I reflected on 2023, I knew I spent too much mindless time on that app. Ashlee Gadd always takes January off, and “silence and solitude” was the monthly spiritual practice focus at work. I took January off, and then a few extra days, and I only got back on yesterday when Taylor announced that new album. But I think I’m getting back off. There were a very small handful of things/accounts I actually missed…and after only a few days back on the app, I’m finding I do not like the way it makes me feel.
I was recently on a Zoom call in which Ali Edwards talked about picking up physical magazines for the first time in awhile. She was also taking an Instagram break, and while she wasn’t connecting those ideas, they clicked together in my mind. I use Instagram much the same way I used to read magazines: a variety of topics (decor, fashion, advertising, recipes, politics, parenting, organization), flip through in no particular order, small bits of info and inspiration. (Also, sponsored content and advertisements.) I am getting curious about what it might look like for me to leave Instagram and pick up magazines (with the help of my public library) instead.
Saying, “Let this be part of the story.” This is from the comments on this Cup of Jo post. (I’m not the first to say it, but I’ll reiterate that the comments section on Cup of Jo is one of the best places on the internet.) It’s a helpful phrase if you’re trying to befriend reality or to not resist suffering/challenge. Because “story” is my word of the year, it stood out to me when I read it, and I have been thinking about it often sense.
Speaking of stories: Writing in community. My friend, Lauren, and I have been talking for several months about our desire for writing in community, with other creative women. It creates accountability, sure, but there is just so much power and inspiration in hearing other people’s stories, and in gathering with common purpose. In January, we finally hosted a trial run of the writing retreats we’ve been dreaming about, and I can not overstate how truly wonderful it was. We hope to do much more of this in the future, so stay tuned. I’ve also been meeting with my friend, Emily, on Zoom on Wednesday mornings so that we can write together, and it’s been so good for my soul.
Sunshine. January in Indiana was the 5th cloudiest on record; I don’t think we saw the sun one single time. But the sun has shined through all of February so far, and to say its life-altering is not an exaggeration.