Hello my fellow chaotic literature lovers, I’m writing to you this week from the wilds of the 413, aka Western Mass, aka where I grew up. I’m here for the next few days for the holiday, and while I couldn’t wait to get out when I was growing up, I do appreciate how quiet it is when I visit now.
I’m thankful for you, my lovely readers, and I’m glad you’ve stuck around. I appreciate your time and energy reading my little missives, it means a lot and warms my chaotic heart. Now while we’re all recovering from food comas, here’s my roundup for the week.
What I’m reading:
I’m bad at TV. So the reason I am reading (listening) to All the Women in my Brain is not because I am a fan of GLOW or Nurse Jackie, shows that Betty Gilpin has starred in. Nope, I am reading Betty’s memoir because we went to the same boarding school for high school and I want all the piping hot gossip.
Betty and I did not overlap - she graduated in 2004 and I graduated in 2009.1 Even if we did go to school at the same time, we wouldn’t have interacted much, either - me as a high strung nerdy day student, she as a high strung theater boarding girl. That being said, I recognize my high school and some of my former teachers, even in the renamed characters. And it’s delightful to realize that we have a shared experience.
While I’m generally not one for audiobooks,2 Betty herself narrates this and as a trained actress, she does a damn good job of it. 10/10.
What I’m writing:
Still my novel. Nothing new to report there.
What I’m listening to:
I have curated my YouTube algorithm on my computer to only show me ASMR videos.3 At said aforementioned high school, we had a library. As in: someone donated a bunch of money, it was its own freestanding building, and had 3 stories plus a basement. I spent my freshman year working on our completely silent floor, and it did something to my brain. I say this hyperbolically but also seriously: I cannot work in complete silence now. Something changed in my brain chemistry, and complete silence makes me want to tear my eyes out. So, I listen to nice ASMR videos like this one and imagine I’m in some Scandinavian country instead of replying to emails. The Cozy Nordic channel has been a favorite as of late.
Mug Moment of the Week:
This week’s Mug Moment is brought to you by Providence itself and a mug I got from one of my favorite local book haunts, Books on the Square. I live within walking distance of the bookstore, which is dangerous. If you weren’t aware, Providence is the birthplace of one H.P. Lovecraft, he of Call of Cthulu fame. There’s a plaque near my house where he was born, and Books on the Square has a corner dedicated to him.
I haven’t read much Lovecraft myself, but I couldn’t resist this mug with the Cthulu like tentacles rising over Providence. Tea is once again the Twinings Lemon Ginger tea, great for upset evening tummies.
I hope you all have a lovely holiday, and next week, promise, my interview with Mary will be up.
You can do the math if you’d like.
More on that next week.
My iPad and phone are a completely different story.