1.Basil Kincaid Amplifies His Ancestry Through Spiritual, Collaged Quilts. “‘The quilt really started changing the way I think about artmaking, and the way I think about intelligence,’ Kincaid said, adding that he had learned to ‘value the intellect of intuition and the spiritual nature of artmaking.’ Soon, he began to lean into the idea of ancestral connections leading his practice. ‘Working on these quilts is the first time where I felt spiritual assistance—where I felt like I’m not alone making these things…and saying, ‘OK, what is this thing trying to tell me?” he explained. ‘I’m a conduit with the thing. And then at the end, I can sit down and listen to it.'”

2. Yoko Ogawa Loves Finding Love at the Bookstore on The New York Times. (gift link) “‘My gaze meets the spine of a certain book,’ explains the author of ‘The Memory Police.’ ‘We exchange glances. … This book has chosen me.'” P.S. I highly recommend “The Memory Police.” It was strange and relevant and beautiful. 

3. Native American author Tommy Orange selected as the next Future Library writer. “The Pulitzer prize-shortlisted novelist behind books including There There and Wandering Stars will pen a manuscript that won’t be published until 2114.”

4. Recipe I want to try: Easy Irish Potato Bread. (Facebook reel) I’d also like to try some overnight oats (which my husband eats ALL the time), something like one of these recipes: Almond Butter Overnight Oats or Peach Cobbler Overnight Oats.

5. Long-term selfish from Seth Godin.

6. Beach books at the ready: authors pick their essential summer reads. “From newly published novels to timeless classics, Elizabeth Strout, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Irvine Welsh, Tessa Hadley and other writers tell the Observer about their holiday favourites.”

7. Highs, lows and Snoop Dogg: the Guardian’s most memorable Paris Olympic moments. “Léon Marchand and Antoine Dupont led the way as home athletes put on a show, but it was the city itself that proved the ultimate star of a wonderful Games.”

8. 5 Reasons to Meditate on Lion’s Roar. “The simple act of stopping, says Pema Chödrön, is the best way to cultivate our good qualities. Here are five ways meditation makes us better people.”

9. Thousands of activists expected in Chicago for Democratic convention to call for Gaza cease-fire. “Thousands of activists are expected to converge on Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, hoping to call attention to abortion rights, economic injustice and the war [you mean the genocide?] in Gaza.”

10. Going Through a Big Life Transition? A Top Yale Psychologist Says This Is the Best Way to Take Care of Yourself.

11. 15 microhabits for calmer, healthier mornings. “From cold showers to mini meditations, experts share really simple tips for a brighter start to the day.”

12. 6 Slow-Living Habits to Help You Savor the Moments in Your Life.

13. I have written 10 books on happiness: The simple, 2-minute habit I do every day to feel happier.

14. Three Simple Ways to Recharge. “If you’re feeling uninspired and drained, there are mindful ways to recover from burnout. These mindful shifts can help us tap into energy again.”

15. Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist revealed. “Explore a selection of out-of-this-world images shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024, the world’s biggest space photography competition.”

16. Meet the Granfluencers. “From funeral fits to dating hacks, elderly TikTokers are slaying online.”

17. Mini farm animals are adorable. There’s also a growing demand for them.

18. What Does It Take to Learn to Garden? A Willingness to Do It Yourself. on The New York Times. (gift link) “‘If somebody comes in and just does it for you, you miss out’: A beginner shares what his first garden taught him.”

19. Here’s back-to-school advice from elementary to high school students. 

20. And finally, a bunch of stuff I saved this week:

1. Some highlights from the final week of the Paris Olympics: The first-ever Olympic gold for Philippines, Sha’Carri Richardson’s blistering, come-from-behind anchor leg ices 4x100m gold, Ray Gun performing her unique version of breakdancing, and this Instagram reel “me during the Olympics watching a sport I usually wouldn’t have been interested in.”

2. The tiny egg and the life it produced. (Facebook reel)

3. Notes to Self, a Facebook post from Jen Lemen.

4. Ecology of Love on the Poetry Off the Shelf podcast. “Camille Dungy on her garden, writing from the provinces, and the poetry of Anne Spencer.”

5. David Michael Wyatt – Hey Ya! @Andre3000 cover. (video) “The Velvet Voice.”

6. This is what depression looks like from Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess. “And if you’re trapped in your own labyrinth right now (whether physically or mentally) please know that you are not alone. That you are more than your messiest, hidden parts. That things will get better even when depression tells you they won’t. That you will write again or create again or smile again. That so many of us struggle (even when we may be too ashamed to show it) so you shouldn’t judge yourself by your idea of everyone else’s shiny lives.”

7. Petrified Wood: The Journey from Wood to Stone.

8. Recipes I want to try: Soft Ginger Cookie and Disney’s Molasses Crackle Cookie.

9. The Art of Grieving, “A feature-length documentary exploring art therapy, grief, and one artist’s mission to heal from loss.”

10. The luxuries of living small, “Freedom, time, and maximal joy” on Rootsie from Rita Ott Ramstad.

11. Blue Was the Color of Home, “A tumultuous childhood on the sea and the pull to return” on gentle sentiments from Amanda Sandlin.

12. Hold Space For One Another, “We can’t change anything, unless empathy is carried with us” from Frederick Joseph.

13. Why Joy, Hope and Positivity Are Tools for Survival, “How we can cultivate the power of positivity to see things more constructively and improve our overall outlook on life” on The Gurdeep Magazine.

14. Lucky, a poem from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.

15. Striking Animal Portraits Capture “Humanlike” Poses Full of Personality. In related news, Jay Lichter Illuminates Stunning Colors and Textures in Macro Photos of Elusive Slime Molds.

16. Writing against the clock from Hugh Hollowell.

17. What Happens in a Mind That Can’t ‘See’ Mental Images. “Neuroscience research into people with aphantasia, who don’t experience mental imagery, is revealing how imagination works and demonstrating the sweeping variety in our subjective experiences.”

18. And finally, a bunch of other good stuff I saved this week.