1. Mabel Magazine No. 5 – Living in the Now, “writing and art and musings from this time we’re all living in, this time outside of anything we’ve ever known before—and the stories and artwork that speak to this are, well, quite extraordinarily true and real. We’re taking pre-orders through 11/30, pre-ordering will get you a copy of Mabel plus a few lovely surprises.” This issue is LOADED with so much good stuff. Added bonus: I have a piece in it.
2. ‘Slow Down,’ ‘Don’t Quit’: Advice From 7 Women Who Overcame Their Pandemic Struggles.
3. Steampunk Busts Sculpted from Resin and Repurposed Objects Evoke Futuristic Relics.
4. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Sends Chess Set Sales Soaring on The New York Times. “The Netflix show about a chess prodigy has reignited interest in the game and fueled demand for sets, accessories and timers.”
5. Artist Helps Soothe Anxious Minds With Adorably Supportive Cat Comics.
6. New (to me) music: Gracie and Rachel – Sidelines (Official Video). I listened to their whole new album, Hello Weakness, You Make Me Strong, this morning and LOVED it.
7. Here’s how the U.S. government plans to distribute the first Covid-19 vaccines on The New York Times. In related news, Immunity to the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint on The New York Times, and The Vaccines Will Probably Work. Making Them Fast Will Be the Hard Part on The New York Times, and Rachel Maddow urges people to “recalibrate” their lives after revealing her partner’s COVID-19 diagnosis.
8. Is This Where We Are, America? by Roxane Gay on The New York Times. “Some people oppose student loan forgiveness because they want others to suffer, too.”
9. 15 Signs Your Partner Is Gaslighting You, According to a Relationship Expert. “Gaslighting is a form of manipulation meant to leave you feeling insecure and questioning your sanity. Here’s how to spot it.” Pro Tip: watching the outgoing administration for the past four years has been a masterclass on gaslighting.
10. Ten Thousand Books, a nonprofit organization. “We value diversity in our schools and in our community. Ten Thousand Books aims to add diverse experiences and voices to school classrooms in Minnesota and beyond. Books are powerful tools we can use to teach lessons of empathy and identity. We want students to read about as many different types of people with as many unique voices as possible. As well, we want ALL students to see themselves represented in books in their schools.”
11. Blinking hell: how to keep tired eyes healthy during a pandemic.
12. It’s Not “Just” Anxiety. When you live with an anxiety disorder — it’s not “just” anxiety.
13. The Best of Brevity: A Roundtable Discussion on Flash Nonfiction. “In celebration of this release, I brought together three of my fellow Best of Brevity essayists…for a conversation. We talked about the glories and limits of the flash form, and about our experiences working with editors who don’t share our backgrounds.”
14. Joy Harjo will serve a rare third term as U.S. poet laureate.
15. Be the Priority of Your Own Life (starting now) from Courtney Carver on Be More With Less.
16. Calm in the Midst of Chaos on Lion’s Roar. “Sharon Salzberg on the power of equanimity.”
17. The Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture. I’ve shared this before, but it’s worth a revisit.
18. Wisdom from George Saunders: “So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it: What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.”
19. Wisdom from Pema Chödrön: “Whatever you are doing, take the attitude of wanting it directly or indirectly to benefit others. Take the attitude of wanting it to increase your experience of kinship with your fellow beings.”
20. Meditation: Be Kind to Yourself on Lion’s Roar. “A three-step contemplation to give yourself the compassion you need (and deserve).”
21. The comedy of survival from Austin Kleon.
22. A year-long observation reveals the secret life of a tree and its animal visitors.
