Let me start off by addressing the (somewhat small) elephant in the room: I missed the last newsletter! Endless apologies—between tying up some lingering projects, preparing for the holidays, and traveling to India for the wedding of some dear friends, I lost the thread on getting the newsletter out. I promise it won't happen again (probably)! Rest assured that Coffee Chats Wrapped 2024 will still appear as a blog post on my website (sometime in the next month, I think) and that we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming here in the new year. I also included some photos of the trip in the Show & Tell section, if it's any consolation.
Now, for the reflection—which will be brief, today, in spite of me wrestling with what to say for the better part of the week. I've been attempting to spin out some clever, inspirational web of words to explain my intentions for the new year, to no avail. Upon reflection (and the self-imposed deadline of getting this out today) I think this is because all of my intentions for the year boil down to a simple concept without need for fancy words or explanation: I want to slow down. I want to be more intentional with how I spend my time. I wish to live deliberatively.
This is both simple and notoriously difficult to do. But as we head into what will surely be a challenging year, on many fronts, I want and need to bring more intention to how I'm spending my time, both at the macro scale (e.g., giving myself time and space to find meaning in the things I do; pursuing my dreams—writing, mostly; prioritizing quality time with the people I love) and at the micro (e.g., avoiding the urge to multitask; resisting the temptation to immerse myself endless streams of content; allowing myself to be bored). This will be a long and meandering journey, I'm sure—but it feels worthwhile, and necessary.
Anyway—I'm wishing you all the best in your intentions for the new year. I believe in you—and, as always, I'm here to support you if and when you need it! Looking forward to being back in your inbox soon.
🗞️ Newsletter Updates
One quick update here: Going forward, all of my book recommendations will link to Libby instead of Bookshop.org. If you're not familiar, Libby is an app made by OverDrive which partners with your local library to deliver eBooks and audiobooks directly to your phone and/or e-reader; it's wonderful and absolutely free. I'm hoping this will make it even easier for you to check out and enjoy the books I share. Sign up, if you haven't already! That said, the link in the footer will still go to my Bookshop page, which features all of the books I've recommended.
✍️ Writing Updates
I'm dipping my toes back into the water of my novel-length work-in-progress, Project Curses, after a brief hiatus (which didn't feel brief, after obsessing over the book for so long). Right now the process looks like reviewing the many, many pages of notes I left myself on the initial draft. Past me is a pedant, in case you were wondering.
I know it will take me a while to come back up to speed with writing and editing, so my amorphous, squishy sort of goal for the project is to be done-ish with this draft by about the time I started the first—late March. More updates to follow soon!
📚 Reading
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez // Last year I read Enriquez's debut novel, Our Share of Night, after hearing her interview on my favorite bookish podcast, Between the Covers. It's brilliant and grotesque, dark and twisty, sharp enough to cut you, if you aren't paying attention—but it takes a bit to get into. Her short fiction, however, has all the same qualities crammed into much smaller containers. It's horror done properly: breathtaking and upsettling in all the best ways while also interrogating inequality, mental health, gender violence, and Argentina's political landscape. Her story "The Neighbor's Courtyard" still has me afraid to turn off the lights. I highly recommend all of her collections, though content warnings abound. Beware!
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut // One of my favorite video essayists, Jacob Geller, recommended this in his "Best of 2024" video (I'd link to it, but it's only available on Nebula, which is a really great creator-owned streaming platform; but I digress). The book is a chimerical novel/historiography/alternate history/essay collection thing about the history of science, a profusion of deeply flawed but brilliant scientists, the destructive potential of knowledge, and the inextricable unknown. The subject matter is deeply compelling, of course, but it's the effortless, winding way in which Labatut weaves together fact and supposition that kept me reading. I have a feeling I'll continue to think about this for a long, long while.
This funky, jazzy, groovy, eminently-diggable album from Surprise Chef has been on repeat around the apartment, lately. The first time I heard the flute solo in "Drinking from the Cup of Bob Knob" I audibly gasped, stood, and began dancing (badly) while demanding that Sarah listen to it right now. Anyway. Give it a listen.
I'm late to the party on singing Clairo's praises, so I'll be brief: this is an all-around great album. The music is excellent, the lyrics are engaging, and its soundscape is beautifully cohesive. It's one that is as nice to listen to with a good pair of headphones and an empty afternoon as to throw on in the background during dinner to set a vibe.
In the frame: Wedding celebrations in Kolkata, India.
As promised, here are a few photos from our time in India!
In the frame is a photo of us with the lovely, lovely friends whose wedding we attended.
Below, from left to right: Sunset at Sunder Nursery in Delhi; Cow friends at Agonda Beach in Goa; Exploring New Market in Kolkata; Squinting into the sun at the Taj Mahal.
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Disclosure: I'm an affiliate of Bookshop.org, a site where your purchases support local bookstores. If you click through and buy a book I recommend, I'll also earn a small commission. While this is certainly better than buying from the Company Who Shall Not Be Named, I encourage you to buy directly from your local bookstore or to support your local library!
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