The Good Stuff

Joy is absolutely a strategy

Hi, Friend.

It’s fall in my mind, but the Ohio weather hasn’t gotten the memo. I’m ready for bonfires, and hot cider, and sweaters, all of which would be pretty miserable right now. It’s going to be 95 and humid today! But I’m grateful for the sunshine, the porch cocktails, the sound of cicadas (shhh shhh shhhhhhhhh like a rain stick), the clouds, the patio at Fox in the Snow (and those biscuits), and the way these last gasps of summer are encouraging the neighbor kids to run through their sprinklers, while they still can.

Now that school’s back in—first year of middle school for my son, sophomore year of high school for my daughter—I have my days to myself again. I’m deep into a new writing project, which means some mornings I sit down with my laptop and then look up to realize it’s 2:30 in the afternoon, I forgot to eat lunch, and the kids will be out of school in an hour. I love that sense of flow, when you’re really in it.

Here are a few books I’ve read and loved recently, and a few that are in my TBR stack.

“Where’s the poetry?” you might be thinking. I’ve been reading more prose lately, but I do want to heartily recommend Susan Rich’s latest book of poems, Blue Atlas. If you know her work, you’re one of the lucky ones—and if you don’t, you’re about to become one of the lucky ones. The opening poem, “This Could Happen,” is the perfect invitation, pulling the reader inside.

Here are some forthcoming titles, both poetry and prose, I’d recommend preordering:

• Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark

• Gather Me by Glory Edim

• One Week in January by Carson Ellis

• The Order of Things by Sarah Gormley

• How Do You Feel? by Jessi Gold, MD, MS

I’m also getting excited for Dear Writer. I just approved the design for the book’s interior, and it looks beautiful—clean, modern, easy to read. Thank you for preordering if you’re able.

What else is bringing me joy these days that I’d like to share with you?

Our MLS team, the Columbus Crew, just defeated LAFC to win the Leagues Cup on Sunday night in one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen live. My kids and I screamed and cheered until we were hoarse. Ahem:

School the next morning was a rude awakening!

A few small pleasures: this bar shampoo and conditioner from Kitsch; super comfortable joggers (these are my “road trip pants,” perfect for long drives); the best homemade mac & cheese, ever, period; and cold mini York Peppermint Patties, which I hide in the fridge behind the vegetables, where my son wouldn’t think to look. That kid’s sweet tooth rivals my own.

Online finds: This beautiful piece by Connie Schultz, and this uplifting talk by Rebecca Solnit, in which she references the DNC roll-call (and joyful playlist). Watching the video, I jotted this line down: “We live in the past’s inconceivable future.”

Music recs: I’ve been playing the new Quivers record, Oyster Cuts, and the new Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Woodland, over and over lately. I highly recommend both. Also, I stand by this statement about Kate Bush from four years ago this week.

Tonight I’m going to the Howard Jones, ABC, and Haircut One Hundred show at the Columbus Athenaeum, and my 80s-new-wave-loving heart is very happy. I mean, c’mon, who’s not dancing to this?

I will be. Joy is my strategy.

What’s bringing you joy right now?

Wishing you more of it—
Maggie