The Good Stuff

peaches, the smell of cut grass, fireflies

Cedar Point at sunset, taken by a poet with a sunburn and a belly full of funnel cake

Hi, Friend.

I took the photo above at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, about a week ago. My parents, my sisters, their spouses, and all of our children—thirteen of us—went on a trip there together. It was nostalgia city: the whole family, ages six to seventy-six, back at the amusement park my parents used to take me and my sisters to when we were kids.

So, it’s officially summer now. As further proof, I’m eating a peach from the farmer’s market and drinking an iced coffee as we speak. The neighborhood smells like cut grass. The fireflies are back.

Joy, joy, joy.

I’ve been reading a lot this summer, as always, so I have plenty of recs for you.

Novels I can’t stop talking about:

• All Fours by Miranda July, which I took with me on book tour, dog-eared the hell out of, and then passed on to my friend Mo Daviau when I was in Portland (She liked it, too!)

• We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons, which is such a terrifically weird, funny, and moving story, I just kept thinking, page after gorgeous page, How did she DO that?

• The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love, which I gulped down in two days, full-on sobbing at various points in the heartbreaking and mind-bending story

Poetry collections I’m savoring:

• My Life in Brutalist Architecture by John Gallaher

• Traverse by Kevin Craft

• Song of My Softening by Omotara James

What else is making me grin this week? You Could Make This Place Beautiful is in the New York Times’ Paperback Row!

Pinch me.

My favorite recent online finds: this piece by Alexandra Moe in the Atlantic, on the importance of reading aloud; this open letter to men in film; A Life in Books (and other wonderful things) with Joanna Rakoff (I adore Jane Ratcliffe’s Beyond, if you’re not already subscribed); this portfolio of poems by Timothy Liu in Plume.

Since getting back from book tour, I’ve been working on edits for my next book, Dear Writer. I’m happiest when I can work on my back patio for a few hours, because being in the fresh air and the sunshine always makes it feel less…work-y.

Ok, yeah, that one hurts.

TV rec: I’m planning to binge watch season 3 of The Bear with my daughter this week, to beat the coming heat wave. I can’t wait. Rumor has it, the soundtrack this season is once again terrific. Have you watched the first two seasons?

Music rec: I’ve been listening to Hannah by Lomelda over and over again. The record itself is pink vinyl, which makes me smile. Here’s a taste.

Recipes? Nope, not right now. I think we’ll be doing a lot of grilling and a lot of simple salads this July. Yesterday’s lunch was cut beefsteak tomatoes with salt and pepper, sliced mini cucumbers sprinkled with Tajín, a big spoonful of feta cheese spread, a big spoonful of hummus, and whole wheat crackers. A snack plate is perfect on a summer afternoon. (On a side note, a margarita on the rocks with a Tajín rim is heaven.)

What’s making your dear life especially dear these days? What’s bringing you joy?

Wishing you more of it—
Maggie