READ ALL ABOUT IT
Since 2012, I’ve been writing about books. And the act of reading. And the importance of story and narrative. But, mostly, the underlying theme of all I write is how taking a moment to stop and digest some longform text — instead of scrolling, instead of watching a video, instead of multitasking — can be one of the most grounding things we can do for ourselves. Here’s the one-stop online home for all this writing.
You can read more about me and my work by moseying over here. Want to peruse periodic “essay drops” — excerpts from my work-in-progress essay collection about Homesickness? Here ya go.
Baker & Taylor And All Those Popular Books We Want
It’s been a long time since I’ve bought a hot book. No, not that kind of hot book. (🔥) And not in an Amish Romance kind of way either, although I do enjoy shelving those at the Habitat ReStore. I just mean the types of highly anticipated, much-publicized novels that, say, Jenna Bush Hager often selects. I usually reserve those for the library. Literally. I reserve them and am often like number 350 on the waitlist.
On the Calculation of Volume (IV)
Group dynamics;
Figuring out what makes a person a part of a larger categorization…
The Things We Never Say
The Things We Never Say…because those things are nestled deep (perhaps really, really deep) in our hearts. And they say the heart doesn’t lie. But also that the heart can be deceitful. So that’s where those things — the things we never say — remain because how they will be received is unknowable.
Flesh
Over a year ago, I read this news story about two Vermont lawmakers — one of whom, over the course of four months, poured a tiny bit of water in the other’s bag. It’s so juvenile. But it also hearkens a bit to torture à la waterboarding: slow and slithering and sanity-impairing. Anyway, consider me fascinated.
Go Gentle
So much Yesteryear commentary in my feed. (😒) I still contend this whole thing is a publishing psyop where supporters use a whole lotta 4D chess to explain what the heck is going on with that book. But we bravely move forward!
#HomeyVibes (in other words: All About Candles)
My mom is half Norwegian and half Swedish, and there are some branches of her family that embrace the Swedish component quite vigorously.
The Motion Picture Chums, AI, The Stratemeyer Syndicate … and Amish Romance Novels?
Volunteering at Julia’s, the used bookstore attached to my local Habitat ReStore, is a fun gig because I get this fascinating overview of random books that have made it to publication. Like: Motivating Your Man God’s Way and numerous Amish Romance novels. (Omg, I love reading the blurbs…Wanda Brunstetter, you are one prolific writer!)
Light Years
Our struggle with — and perhaps our fight against — the ordinary is what makes us human. We all, at some point, want to believe that our lives are extraordinary. Of course, every life is extraordinary…I truly believe that. But it’s in the mundane and humdrum moments where our uniqueness flourishes. “Extraordinary” is subtle; “ordinary” gives itself away amidst obvious attempts.
What’s in a Name?
What’s in a name?
I try to volunteer a couple of times a month at the used bookstore attached to a Habitat ReStore. It’s called Julia’s Café & Books; it’s named after Julia Maulden, a woman who helped establish Habitat for Humanity locally.
On the Calculation of Volume (I-III)
It’s not Groundhog Day…although the basic gist of the seven-volume On the Calculation of Volume — these slim novels by Solvej Balle and translated from Danish by Barbara J. Haveland, Sophia Hersi Smith, and Jennifer Russell — is that a woman named Tara Setler is stuck in a strange time loop where every day is November 18.
Birthday Book Recs 42/50 : Who’s Irish? by Gish Jen
Birthday Book Recs: 42/50
Who’s Irish? by Gish Jen
Kin
Shine all the spotlights on Tayari Jones for gracing us with another masterpiece.
Hospitable Books
From Newsletter Issue No. 25:
I’m a fan of Will Guidara, former owner of the NYC restaurant Eleven Madison Park, author of Unreasonable Hospitality, and — apparently — cameo-achiever on The Bear. (Haven’t watched the third season yet!) I get his periodic Pre-Meal email dispatches, and they are simple, short, catchy — and pretty darn edifying.
House of Smoke, Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, The Score, Strangers
Here’s a roundup of nonfiction I’ve read in the last few months:
Lost Lambs
Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Or allows us to forget. Somewhere in the middle is just “there” — out in the ether, summoning no strong opinions one way or another.
Trip
“I was more a trampoline park kind of mom.” So said my extremely awesome + adventurous friend this weekend when we were somewhere where it seemed like it would be utterly exhausting — albeit très hip — to have a kid with you. I loved her even more for that comment. You gotta bend when you have kids — it doesn’t mean you’ve forfeited your entire being.
Birthday Book Recs 41/50 : Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Birthday Book Recs: 41/50
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Wreck
I finished Wreck by Catherine Newman and Season 3 ofShrinking in the same week and what that means is that I feel like pulling a Roberto Benigni and running up and down my street screaming “Life is Beautiful!” while simultaneously crying my eyes out.
A Parlor Read 2.0
Reader: “A person who reads.” (But also: wine [?] + my trusty glasses. I put those images below in stories yesterday after I realized we were coincidentally hosting our “parlor read” on International Book Day…)
Birthday Book Recs 39-40/50 : Erasure and The Trees by Percival Everett
Birthday Book Recs: 39-40/50
Erausre by Percival Everett
The Trees by Percival Everett
