Dear friends,
Last night, I accomplished a major life goal: I finished reading Moby-Dick, AKA the great American Novel AKA Some Very Weird Sh*t That’s Super Hard to Classify. I feel quite as stoved as the Pequod from the experience, and honestly, all I want to do is turn to the first chapter and read it again. Given that it’s taken me many decades of resistance to read this book, I couldn’t let this day go by without marking it. Plus, as I write this, it’s the Winter Solstice; an auspicious beginning to the season. I don’t know how you honor the shortest day of the year, but I made videos. The first to an mp3 Lila’s violin teacher Emily Greene sent us of “O Holy Night.” Apparently, this track gets sent around every year or so by one of Emily’s college buddies to make sure spirits stay merry. The singer is (or was) a pastor in a Southern CA church. His motives for making this recording remain murky. But our motives in making this video were absolutely pure. Lila gets credit for the Cuisinart scene.
The second is a new song. Here’s the band!
Morning Seeding and Tending continues in 2023! Starting on January 2, we’ll be meeting every weekday from 10-11am EST for a short prompt (usually a poem), individual shared intentions, and an hour of quiet writing on Zoom. To subscribe, visit my Ko-Fi page here. What you get: Monday-Friday emailed daily prompt. Come and go when and if you please. Sweet and discreet writing community. All for $20/month!
Spots remaining vacant in Winter session of Writing Groups are scarce. Here’s what I’ve got:
-1 Spot in Wednesday Evening group, meets 7-9pm starting Jan 11.
-1 Spot in Thursday Fiction group, meets 12:30-2:30 Starting Jan 12
-1 Spot in Weeding & Pruning group, taught by Elaine Apthorp, meets Fridays 12:30-2:30, starting Jan 20.
Kuddos to:
Laura Hirshfield for her essay “Learning How to Celebrate Hanukkah as a Parent, One Year at a Time” just now published in Motherwell.
Richard Fox for his poem “How to Tell My Dog I’m Dying” in Yetzirah.
Whitney Hudak for her poem “Two Truths and a Lie” in Blue Stem Magazine.
Here Are A Few Of My Favorite Things of 2022
Novels: Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House. A sequel of sorts to her Pulitzer Prize-winning A Visit from the Goon Squad, though it doesn’t really matter which novel you read first. Also, well, Moby-Dick.
Films: Who knows? There’s too much good TV. Seriously, I need some good recommendations. On my list to watch are All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Glass Onion, Moonage Daydream, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Everything, Everywhere All at Once. What else am I missing?
TV: Reservation Dogs, Bad Sisters, White Lotus, The Great, The Bear.
(Dishonerable mention and Biggest Disappointment: New season of The Crown.)
Podcasts: Literature and History, which has given me an understanding of Ancient History, languages, great works that I’ve read before and those I’ve always meant to read. And the History of the English Language podcast, which is a word-nerd’s delight.
Album: Dar Williams, I’ll Meet You Here
Games: Wordle, Globle, NYTimes Crossword and Mini Crossword.
Awesome thing that Lila made:
If you read this far, WOW! Thank you!!! Especially since I’m sure you have other things to do this holiday season? Please write back and tell me your favorites of 2022. Happy holidays and see you next year!
Love, Nerissa