Things I Love Lately

To She Who Persists – I’ve been hugely moved by John Pavlovitz’s writing lately, and I recommend it all.  This piece in particular touched me, and made me cry.  When he refers to the “near infinite chain of strong, intelligent, capable women, having to shout to be heard above the hissing, frantic noise of insecure men in her midst, all desperate to silence her” I nodded, tearful.  And at the end, the words about his own daughter made me want to go look my own daughter (and son) in the eyes.  I hope they inherit a more equal world.

Hourglass: Dani Shapiro on Time, Memory, Marriage, and What Makes Us Who We Are – beautiful writing about beautiful writing.  Is there anything better? No. No, there is not.  Read Brainpicking’s gorgeous words about Dani’s most recent, luminous, spare, powerful book (she calls it “thoroughly transcendent,” and my review is here).

In the last couple of months I’ve read some gorgeous books.  Nina Riggs’ The Bright Hour (coming in June, and my review is forthcoming) is spectacular, I adored Dani Shapiro’s Hourglass (see above), Bill Hayes’ Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me moved me hugely, and not only because I so love the work of Oliver Sacks, and I could scarcely put down Courtney Sullivan’s wise, funny, thoughtful Saints for All Occasions. As I mentioned in my alphabet of right now, I’ve also been working y way through the collected oeuvre of John Grisham. Contradictory? You bet.  I contain multitudes.

I’ve been driving and running in silence for several months. The driving thing isn’t new at all, but the running is.  I used to listen to On Being, or to Top 40.  These days I run with only my thoughts and the sound of my breath for company.  It wasn’t a deliberate change, just, one day, I went out without headphones, and I never went back.  Sort of how many life changes have happened, when I really think about it.

What are you reading, listening to, and thinking about lately? 

I write these Things I Love Lately posts approximately monthly.  You can find them all here.

7 thoughts on “Things I Love Lately”

  1. I keep walking by Insomniac City but maybe I’ll pick it up – it sounds really good! I like Grisham too. And the kombucha from your last post. I have a kombucha growler I get filled up every Sunday at the farmers market. The mango kombucha is totally addictive.

  3. I love this style. It’s vintage you and why we read. Now in the grandparent era, we enjoy readers writing about reading, random family life events and happenings and sharing of values we hold dear. Good to see you dial back and not feel bad for doing it. Cheers!

  6. Reading – Twilight of the Elites
    Eating – Soft boiled eggs
    Drinking – Pimm’s Cups
    Listening – Podcasts (Lovett or Leave It, The Ezra Klein Show, Pod Save America) and Soundtracks (Mary Poppins and Hamilton)
    Doing – Dog walking, baseball watching

  7. Lindsey, I can relate to those awkward times when life is changing and you feel off balance, but you will all balance again when things are more settled. Your children are growing up into the people they will become. That is upsetting and scary but also amazing and wonderful. They will strike out on their own and make a difference in the world. You need to enjoy every stage and grow with them. I am going through empty nest right now and it is hard but also exciting. I am getting to know myself better and what I want to do and to be. I am glad you spend time as a family and really talk and listen to each other. You are companions with your children as well as parents. My husband and I did this with our daughters and now they are our best friends and very supportive and attentive. I really like your writing. C. Meinstein

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