Quote of the week:“The work of the moment, and the work of the next 4 years, must be the restoration of democracy–of decency, honor, respect.” –Joe Biden, in response to the appalling attack on U.S. democracy at the Capitol What I’m reading:American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins What I’m listening to:Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through — Read More
Weekly Roundup: January 3, 2021
Quote of the week:“Why do the stories endure? Why did humans tell them in the first place? For a very simple reason: Life is hard. It’s confusing. We have enough intelligence to ponder existence, but not enough to really understand what’s going on here in our small corner of the vast universe. That’s why we — Read More
Books I read in 2020
So, I usually read about 80-ish books a year. This year: 107. I think it’s safe to say that reading has been my pandemic coping mechanism. The 107 breaks down to 60 fiction, 46 nonfiction, and 1 graphic novel. I’m excited for a new reading year, but it’s probably a good sign if I don’t — Read More
Weekly Roundup: December 27, 2020
Quote of the week:“The propensity of humans to blame other people is so strong and such a waste of time, and projecting out into other people what needs to change, when really, the most gratifying and the only work that really works is working on ourselves.” —Elizabeth Lesser What I’m reading:White Ivy by Susie Yang What — Read More
Weekly Roundup: December 18, 2020
Quote of the week:“Writing has always been my sweetest companion, ever since I discovered it was a bridge between my overwhelming emotions and a world that didn’t seem built for them.” –Mari Andrew, Instagram What I’m reading:An Outsider’s Guide to Humans: What Science Taught Me About What We Do and Who We Are by Camilla Pang — Read More
Weekly Roundup: December 11, 2020
Quote of the week:“The pandemic has created a collective grief experience that we have not yet addressed as a nation (or as a world). I’m not sure we even have the right words to describe what it is that we’re going through. In order for us to move through this experience and find a place — Read More
Weekly Roundup: December 4, 2020
Quote of the week:“When something important in your life ends, it’s like a monument has burned. Stop sifting: there’s no reconstructing it from ash. Stand in the space and see it — burnt black as it may be — as a site for building. There’s room for something else now — what? You decide. Keep — Read More
Weekly Roundup: November 29
I usually do these on Fridays, but I was in a post-Thanksgiving fog on Friday, so here I am today. Quote of the week:“Becoming a mother has a way of coating your life with a thin layer of fear.” — Saumya Dave, Well-Behaved Indian Women What I’m reading:NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future — Read More
The Benefits of Writing Even If You’re Not “A Writer”
I’ve been thinking recently about how much writing has helped me cope during the pandemic, when so much feels out of control. Putting thoughts on paper, where I can see them, makes them feel more manageable. When they stay in my head too long, colliding with other thoughts, I start to go a little batty. — Read More
Weekly Roundup: November 20
Quote of the week:“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” –Malorie Blackman What I’m reading:The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim What I’m listening to:Well-Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave What I’m watching:“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix). Lives up to the hype. Fantastic.“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” — Read More