March 9, 2021
Gleanings
- Never let it be said that book design doesn’t matter.
- Disagreement is a way of thinking, perhaps the best one we have… We can use it to turn vague notions into actionable ideas, blind spots into insights, distrust into empathy. Instead of putting our differences aside, we need to put them to work.
- Every story confirms that Doug has always been Doug.
- This is a book about discovery. Birds, yes. But passion mostly. It’s uplifting in a down to earth way; there are no promises that following your passion will lead you to what you expect, in yourself or otherwise, but, as Zarankin shows by her own example, there’s a very good chance it will lead you to the surprise of your own heart.
- I urge everyone to read this collection, and without delay! Audre Lorde’s intellect, insight, and wisdom were vast, but so was her heart. I can’t imagine anyone reading it and not wanting to try harder, to do better, to look at themselves and ask the tough questions.
- Two nights ago there were so many stars that I stood for a time just taking in the silvery shimmer across the vault of sky over the Douglas firs just beyond my house, the beauty settling in my whole body like a promise. This is here, I thought, despite everything else.
- It’s all about being ready. For the miracles.
- It’s like following a recipe for a Waldorf Salad, and then improvising with pecans and pears.
- Partially renovated bathrooms are more the rule than the exception. In the best cases, there’s a mismatched toilet or a handful of replaced tiles in a different shade of pink (or yellow, or blue).
- I like to listen to people talk. When radio became podcasts I was delighted.
- I concluded with “So, we have cake to celebrate being alive.”
- Of course this is an analogy for novel writing. It’s equally tedious and frustrating and even when you know you have all the pieces, that somehow they do all fit together to form a coherent whole, there are moments of doubt.
Read my article on comfort reads in The Toronto Star!
Do you like reading good things online and want to make sure you don’t miss a “Gleanings” post? Then sign up to receive “Gleanings” delivered to your inbox each week(ish). And if you’ve read something excellent that you think we ought to check out, share the link in a comment below.
When I read your newsletter, it made me really realize something. The pandemic experience is totally different across this country. Oh sure, that’s not a totally new realization but I hadn’t realized just how different it has been for people in different provinces — for some it’s been hugely different. A friend of mine who moved to Ontario 2+ years ago has been keeping in touch. I just learned she just went to the hairdresser after they finally opened! WTF! Are you kidding me? We’ve been going to the hairdresser for months upon months out here in the west. Okay, so maybe that’s a bad example. But it was the tipping point for me to realize just how diverse the experiences have been — still are — for us from coat to coast to coast. Good gravy! Oh, I just linked to that Toronto Star article — looking forward to reading it!
It’s true! We’ve been “locked down” in Toronto since November 23. This week, non-essential retail is able to open with 25% capacity. But stores and libraries have been awesome at curbside pickup, we have so much takeout, my children are back in school, and the weather has been not bad, and therefore I have nothing to complain about, even if my hair could use a trim.