The Good Stuff
National Poetry Month Edition
Hi, Friend.
It’s been a challenging few months (you, too, or just me?), but I’ve kept up my habit of collecting good things, the way a magpie gathers shiny treasures. Even when I’m grieving or stressed, there’s so much worth paying attention to and celebrating. And I’m happy to share some of them with you.
It’s National Poetry Month. Here’s to poets! *raises coffee mug*
Last year I wrote a piece for the Washington Post about how I’ve introduced poetry to my own kids. Here’s a taste:
Maybe you’re thinking, Sure, she’s a poet, so of course her kids must be into poetry. But I’m also a mom, and as a mom I know this to be true: If you want a kid to hate something, make it really important to you that they like it.
So, no, I was not someone who read a lot of poetry to her kids, or who expected them to want to write it. I began by celebrating the poetry in everyday life — sound, metaphor and image — because I wanted to instill in them a love of language and its possibilities. I wanted to encourage them to use their imaginations and express themselves. I wanted them to think like poets, and to see the world around them in a poetic way. It didn’t — and doesn’t — matter to me if they love to read poems or want to write them.
tl;dr: Don’t force it.
What are you reading these days? I’m reading The Westing Game to my son before bed, since it was one of my favorite books as a a kid. He’s indulging me by letting me read it aloud and get some snuggle time in. I know those days are numbered.
One of my favorite very recent reads is Ada Limón’s brand-new anthology, You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World. I’ve already dog-eared poems by Molly McCully Brown, José Olivarez, Carrie Fountain, and Eduardo C. Corral.
My favorite recent online reads: This beautiful piece on birding by Ed Yong (yes, my beloved Merlin app makes an appearance). This deep dive on gaslighting by Leslie Jamison. These two knockout poems by Diane Seuss. This essay by Dana Levin.
My memoir, You Could Make this Place Beautiful, recently celebrated its first birthday, and I’m starting to see what she’ll look like in other places. Look at this gorgeous cover for the Croatian edition. *swoon* And now I know the Croatian word for extraordinary, thanks to the very generous Ann Patchett.
I have plenty of terrific music recs for you: Waxahatchee’s Tigers Blood; Rosali’s Bite Down; the new solo record by Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief, Bright Future; and the new Old 97s record, American Primitive. (But do I play 90s Jock Jams when I take Rhett to soccer, because that’s his “hype music”? I do. We do these things for our kids.)
Do you change up your music when the seasons change? What about perfume? I tend to put away my signature spicy, smoky scents and switch over to fresh and floral perfume when spring arrives here. My go-to warm weather picks are Queens & Monsters, Rose Load, and Jake’s House. Yum.
Something I’m looking forward to this month: On April 25, I’ll be in conversation with Joy Harjo and moderator Cynthia Amoa for The Women’s Fund’s annual fundraiser, Keyholder. Keyholder brings together 1,000+ champions for gender equity each year to hear from guest speakers who are paving the way for change. The Keyholder 2024 program is highlighting women who are using their voices and their art to make a difference for women and girls. I’m honored to be part of it. Please join us if you’re in Central Ohio.
I made a little video to promote Keyholder with a reading of “Bride,” so I thought I’d share that here, too.
What else has brought me pleasure this month?
The solar eclipse! Holy wow! My kids and I (and Phoebe the Boston terrier) watched on a quilt in our backyard, and when it got dark and cool, the patio lights blinked on.
We laughed pretty hard at how ridiculous we looked, staring at the sky sun in those cardboard glasses, trying to get decent photos with an iPhone. *womp womp womp*
My kids and I have laughed really, really hard at a few things lately, including the truly absurd spoken word version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by William Shatner and—also absurd—70s episodes of The Price Is Right. The outfits! The hair! The inappropriate kissing! The genuinely perplexing pieces of furniture! Whew.
Maybe laughter is the best medicine because there is no copay, even with terrible marketplace insurance.
What’s spring like where you are? What’s bringing you joy these days?
Wishing you more of it—
Maggie
Oh gosh: Ed Yong’s piece. Glorious! These words:
“These recent years have taught me that I’m less when I’m not actively looking after myself, that I have value to my world and my community beyond ceaseless production and that pursuits like birding that foster joy, wonder and connection to place are not sidebars to a fulfilled life but their essence.”
“It’s easy to think of birding as an escape from reality. Instead, I see it as immersion in the true reality. I don’t need to know who the main characters are on social media and what everyone is saying about them, when I can instead spend an hour trying to find a rare sparrow. It’s very clear to me which of those two activities is the more ridiculous. It’s not the one with the sparrow.”
What made me happy yesterday: finishing Negar Djavadi's amazing new novel Disoriental. So much in one book. It reads like a memoir, with the "I" narrator, and includes history, gender, sexuality, imperialism and colonialism, immigration and exile. The symphonic orchestration of themes, motifs, scenes, dialogue, images, etc. reminds me, in its own way, of You Could Make this Place Beautiful.