Well, it’s been a week. Going online and reading news headlines about Trump administration appointments feels like death by a thousand cuts. It’s a lot to take in. I’m not sure where to go from here. For now, I’m just trying to stay close to my values and to the people I love. That’s all we can really do. Here’s the roundup:
Quote of the week:
“I don’t know if I’m extremely sensitive or life is unbearable.” —Vincent Van Gogh
What I’m reading:
I read You’re Safe Here by Leslie Stephens this week—interesting futuristic fiction. I’m now getting into We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons.
What I’m listening to:
I’ve been on an Annie Ernaux kick. This week, I listened to Simple Passion and A Woman’s Story. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022. My favorite of hers is A Frozen Woman.
What I’m watching:
I’m still enjoying season 2 of Shrinking and I have 2 episodes left of The Terror. I also watched the Martha Stewart documentary this week and it was so good. She’s fascinating.
Writing news:
The cover for my new book, Woman on the Verge, is coming soon! It releases on June 17!
Just yesterday, I finished a draft of my 2026 novel. It’s way too long and needs lots of editing, but I’m happy to have a draft.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- US internet searches for how to move abroad went up more than 1000% after the election
- The Handmaid’s Tale has risen more than 400 places on bestseller charts since the election (if you haven’t read it, you MUST). Other dystopian novels have also seen increased sales
- A survey by Ipsos shows that voters who relied on Fox News, conservative media outlets and social media platforms for their news, were more likely to answer objective questions about crime and inflation incorrectly. They were also far more likely to vote for Trump
- Some good news: For the first time ever, two Black women will serve in the Senate, after Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware won their respective races
- Mattel’s latest dolls for the movie “Wicked” mistakenly listed a porn website on its packaging instead of a similar URL promoting the film
- Crows can remember threats and hold onto grudges for up to 17 years, according to research from the University of Washington
- Currently, only 4% of healthcare research and development funding is reserved for women’s health
- For the first time in history, no men were nominated for “Best Pop Vocal Album” at the Grammys
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“longest cat whiskers.” An inquiry from my daughter. There is actually a Guinness Record for this and it’s 7.5 inches. Whoa. This google search led us to also googling “longest cat tail” and that is 16 inches. Whoa again. Along this journey, we also discovered that the loudest cat purr is 54.6 decibels. You can hear this purr here.
What I’m grateful for:
- Comedy. Stephen Colbert is saving me lately. Also, my boyfriend and I saw Tom Segura perform in San Diego last weekend and that was a very necessary mood lifter
- Pet cuddles. I’ve been needing them so much this week
- Nature. Getting outside has helped my mental state a lot. The trees and the sky don’t care about the election. They go on doing their thing
- Community organizing. A mom-friend of mine and I are forming a group to talk about local issues affecting us since the election. It feels good to do something
- Good ol’ phone calls. I talked to one of my best friends last night and my sister this morning. It’s amazing how a half-hour of rich conversation can shift everything
- Friends visiting! Two of my best friends are coming into town next week and I can’t wait to hug them
Snapshots:
Top: Felines for female rights, baby. Sweatshirt from my sister’s company, The Bee & the Fox.
Bottom: Nature, giver of perspective.
