1. Don’t Talk to Me About ‘Civility.’ On Tuesday Morning Those Children Were Alive. by Roxane Gay on The New York Times. “When politicians talk about civility and public discourse, what they’re really saying is that they would prefer for people to remain silent in the face of injustice. They want marginalized people to accept that the conditions of oppression are unalterable facts of life. They want to luxuriate in the power they hold, where they never have to compromise, never have to confront their consciences or lack thereof, never have to face the consequences of their inaction.”

2. In related news: ‘That smile I will never forget’: the victims of the Texas school shooting, and Irma Garcia was killed protecting her students. Her husband died two days later: “Joe died of a broken heart”, and Experts say we can prevent school shootings. Here’s what the research says, and 12 stats to help inform the gun control debate, and Monsters Are In Charge, And Nobody Is Coming To Save Us, and My love letter to you after Uvalde, and This is What Happens When You Live Under Minority Rule, and Everytown, the largest gun violence prevention organization in America. Also, a prayer from Lama Rod Owens and a practice from Susan Piver. and a piece of art from Nikkolas Smith. 

3. An Open Letter to Parents of Most White Teenage Boys in the US.

4. To improve patient care, doctors are rethinking longstanding biases around obesity. In related news, 10 Very Unpopular Facts About Fat People.

5. I Analyzed 100 Commencement Speeches: These Are the 4 Tips They All Share.

6. Guy Fieri, Elder Statesman of Flavortown on The New York Times. “Mr. Fieri has emerged as one of the most influential food philanthropists of the Covid age, helping to raise more than $20 million for restaurant workers. He has established himself as an industry mentor among chefs who may or may not admire his cooking but recognize his gifts as a messenger, which have boosted business for the hundreds of restaurants featured on his show. He has won the blessing of the white-tablecloth set through sheer force of charisma and relentlessness, coaxing a reconsideration of how the food establishment treated him in the first place.”

7. Tiny Human Activities Erupt into Vast Celestial Nightscapes in New Paintings by Oliver Jeffers.

8. Lush Aerial Photos by Pham Huy Trung Capture the Annual Harvests of Vietnam’s Countryside.

9. Mid-Century Modern Perches Offer a Minimalist Haven for Backyard Birds.

10. Recipe I want to try: The Best Apple Crisp. I have a bunch of granny smith apples I need to do something with, so I will most likely try this sooner rather than later.

11. Andy Fletcher obituary. “Keyboard player and business brain of Depeche Mode who pushed the electronic band to long-lasting success.”

12. ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Review: It’s Messy, and Glorious on The New York Times. “Michelle Yeoh stars as a stressed-out laundromat owner dragged into cosmic battle and genre chaos.”

13. Personal responsibility from Seth Godin. Worth considering.

14. What You Don’t Know About Family Estrangement. “14 stories of mourning, beauty, and power” from Anne Helen Petersen.

15. How to Live with Fear and What It Means to Love: A Tender Meditation in Ink, Watercolor, and Wonder. One of my favorite books.

16. Poet Jane Kenyon’s Advice on Writing: Some of the Wisest Words to Create and Live By.

17. How Equanimity Powers Love on Lion’s Roar. “True equanimity, says Kaira Jewel Lingo, is not in any way detached or uncaring—it’s inclusive, and loving, and the foundation for spiritual courage.”

18. When her son died, a woman turned to gardening. Now, she feeds her entire community. 

19. Hybrid Bharatham (video). “#HybridBharatham is my way of switching between Hip-Hop and Bharathanatyam, 2 dances that I love, learn and respect. My aim is to keep the essence of each dance and create something that does justice to who I am.”

20. Things That Don’t Suck (Part 2) (video) from Andrea Gibson. “Last month I reached out to the premium subscribers of this newsletter and asked folks to share some ‘things that don’t suck.’ I’ve edited the list down but included something by everyone who shared. This was so much fun to put together. I’ve read it several times and know I will keep doing so as it fills me with so much gratitude. I’m overwhelmed by the loveliness here.”

P.S. This will be my last post for a bit, kind and gentle reader. I’m taking a break from blogging and social media for the next three weeks to visit family and see the ocean, to rest my heart and reset my brain. Take good care and I’ll “see” you soon!