read
Calypso: I’m a longtime fan of David Sedaris. This collection is so tender, it made me wonder, do we all get more tender as we move through middle age and life beats us up? Have no fears about Sedaris losing his edge and slipping into sentimentality, Calypso is scalpel sharp, funny, and a beautiful love letter to Sedaris’ dad.
write
A question that rises up for me when times are hard, “How can I stay engaged with creative work? How can I write fiction when I am suffering?” When we’re in pain, life seems oh so long! When considering all that we’d like to accomplish, man, life is short! So, I took a look at ways to write through suffering and here’s a couple things I found.
Feeling better can begin with art. Check out this article, “Writing Therapy: Using a Pen and Paper to Enhance Personal Growth.”I especially like this little nugget, “Write down what makes you want to write in the first place.” And this, “End smart, re-read what you’ve written and reflect with a sentence or two.” Both of these are excellent tidbits for the memoirist to keep in mind.
If it hurts, put it in a story. Turns out narrative expressive writing does wonders for your health. Loved this piece over at the Big Think, “Can You Fix a Broken Heart by Writing About It?“
eat
Okay, this new project…this newsletter is letting me do some fun food exploration. I thought for this first one I’d share a food blog I’m loving.
Everyday Dorie from Dorie Greenspan, who “gave up working on her doctorate in gerontology to bake cookies.” These savory treats look delicious to nibble with a glass of pink wine!
And, finally, here’s a recipe I cannot wait to make. Watermelon Poke I know…it sounds whack, but in these dog days of summer, it checks all the boxes–salty, sweet, crunchy and cold.
