220. READ. LOOK. THINK.
YES, sciatic and unenthused domme, EFFING LIME BIKE, the sheets were clean, Ayo's head scarfey thing, being a person of place.
READ.
‘Life went on. I had other little bibliographic targets to hit, was preoccupied with and distracted by the usual jumble of half-formed intentions. I had books to write, friends to see, drinks to drink, promises to keep. But always there was the ongoing project of looking out for volumes three and four of the Woolf complete diaries.’
‘At least half the time, my writing brain, I regret to say, is a recalcitrant sub. And I, its theoretical owner, feel often like a sciatic and unenthused domme.’
‘And you know what she was about to fucking do! She was about to leave that beautiful Greek island holiday and fly back to Gatwick, at God knows what hour, to cycle on a FUCKING LIME BIKE to that cunt Simon’s house for a FUCKING HOUSE PARTY and he DOESN’T EVEN FUCKING LIKE HER.’
“It was easy for me,” she said. “I had these two wonderful babies, and the sheets were clean. I was so happy.”
‘It happened in this order: I started writing a novel. Then I found out the novel was trans. Then I found out I was trans. Now the novel is coming out, and so am I.’
I loved Erin Riley’s A Real Piece of Work. Friends I have recommended it to love it too. Gender stuff, trans stuff, family stuff, glimpses of people in Sydney Erin helps as a social worker and therapist — all deeply felt and thought-through; compelling, inviting, guileless; leaves you feeling free. Available in UK and AU. Maybe even US? It should be, if not.
LOOK.
All the Zadie Smith podcasts: Changes, Fresh Air and more.
Five green spaces in this Fitzroy terrace.
The beautiful home of Adwoa Aboah (Becks in TOP BOY!!)
I saw PAST LIVES (loved, cried, posted about it on IG and got some amazing gossip in replies about a friend reconnecting with their German exchange boyfriend). I’m doing this newsletter listening to the soundtrack — beautiful.
Weird one: my children did circus school in the holidays for a few days loved this odd piece of equipment. Maybe would be a nice present?
Shall we all club together to buy this clam shell that weighs 95kg, just a suggestion.
THINK.
“No therapist was even trained in internet hate back then. It was hard to get help for the emotional breakdowns I was having from people lashing out at me.” Anyone on Tumblr the same era as I was will remember Julia Allison!
Whether or not someone finds a work of art beautiful and moving has more to do with how well the subject matter resonates with their sense of who they are and their world-view than any particular features of the image itself.
'(no shade just indicative of a larger problem in our culture maybe which is that you aren’t considered worthy of compassion unless you’re clinically ill xo)'
How becoming a person of place will sustain you in a warming world.
How just walking around – even when accompanied by an adult – is empowering for children.
Unless this wretched brag makes everyone unsub, I will soon have 5000 subscribers! Thank you for your interest in my (our) interests!
Jess
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