Dawn Approaches

A week in which I doubled down on my resolve to resist by shining a light on joy. It is always darkest before the dawn, and I am convinced dawn is around the corner. After which we’ll have lots of work to do, so let’s pace ourselves.

Ways I Found Joy This Week

Making two more great library hauls

Enjoying a fabulous deep tissue massage

Laughing out loud at a comedy special

Switching my BlueSky feed from “Following” to “Discover”, and counterbalancing the grim realities of our descent into fascism with gorgeous photography and other artwork, book discussions, and fun animal pics

Placing copies of Rising in several Little Free Libraries around town

Visiting my local art museum, and especially loving an exhibit of mosaic portraits of icons of the music world

Meandering through a nearby wetlands and taking in all sorts of beauty and wildlife

Things I Learned This Week

About the thousands of abductions of citizens of other countries, particularly Japan, carried out by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s

A bit of geography (ongoing effort)

The difference between smalti and tesserae in mosaic art

That I’m a keen observer skilled at finding hidden treasures (especially gratifying for a former sleepwalker)

That mature male iguanas turn a vivid orange during mating season

That the clusters of disturbingly phallic growths in the wetlands are called cypress knees

Quotes That Resonated This Week

“Hope, …, is a steadfast, stubborn refusal to believe that the present is permanent…”

John Pavlovitz

You are not your struggles but the magic that overcomes them.

Billly Chapata

Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.

Martin Luther King

What I Watched This Week

Interview With the Vampire (Netflix). Vampires are not usually my jam, but I find this so atmospheric and clever.

Marcello Hernandez, American Boy (Netflix). He always made me laugh on Saturday Night Live, and this did not disappoint.

Robin Hood (Amazon Prime). A visual feast and a propulsive tale. Beautifully done.

What I Read This Week

Finished:

Notes to John, by Joan Didion. I’ve long revered Joan Didion and would read her grocery list, so this posthumously published book of notes to her husband reporting on a year or so of her therapy sessions was a treat.

Her One Regret, by Donna Freitas. A thriller that also examines the taboo of maternal regret and our societal expectations of mothers. Thought provoking.

The Ghostwriter, by Julie Clark. A twisty thriller full of family secrets that ripple through fifty years.

Started:

Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton. A woman who spent Covid lockdown in the English countryside stumbles upon a newborn hare being chased by a dog and figures out how to keep it alive without interfering with its nature. I’ve just started this memoir and her use of language is incredible; it’s like reading poetry.

The Bird Watcher, by Jacquelyn Mitchard. A young woman is determined to prove that her best friend is not guilty of murder.

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Thanks for reading! I wrestle with feeling frivolous reporting on my privileged life and talking about my book but remind myself that fighting despair and sharing oneself are both forms of resistance. So is reading. So, if you haven’t read it yet, you can get Rising here.