LIBERATION, FISH CLIPS, AND A MISSING WORD

LIFE OF A BOOKMAN

Bookman: 1. a person who has a love of books and especially of reading. 2. a person who is involved in the writing, publishing, or selling of books. Oh, hi that's me!!

In my woo era: I've been walking Skye to the tune of Joe Dispenza's audiobook Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon. And I'm honestly lovingggg it. I'm not new to Joe Dispenza's meditation work, but I find that I always come back to it when things are feeling particularly unsure. His work has a way of reminding me that the unknown is where all the good stuff lives. The unknown is where infinite possibility lives. And to the degree that I can stay deeply connected to the beauty of the unknown, is the degree with which I create more magic. And honestly, when looking back, the things I'm the most proud of...that seem wild in hindsight...that produced the most growth and propulsion of my existence...were the decisions I made when the outcome was absolutely not guaranteed (and in fact, the outcome or logistics seemed down-right hairy). This is book that has kept me really centered in the love, joy, and gratitude of right now, and of my unknown future.

What I've been writing: For those of you that read Daisy, you know that Evangeline was a minor character in Daisy's book. Well, last week I went back to young Evangeline as she appeared in Daisy – back to what she believed in, what she was excited about, what she was reaching for. It was a very fun exercise in centering her desires and misconceptions as I move into some crucial moments of her adult story (like getting so obsessed with the acceleration of her mission she misses the major pitfalls ahead #relatable). But it's wild that I'm in the back third of the book draft. Chipping away baby!!

WOMENS STUDIES

What gets passed down becomes our history.

The American Skater that captivated us with her liberation One of my core tenets is “Liberation through Creation” and that's exactly what Alysa Liu did with her gold-medal winning free-skate. The world has been captivated with this young woman and her striped hair, her infectious quirkiness, and her DGAF energy. This piece in MS NOW summed up what is so liberating about someone like Alysa not only existing as herself, but excelling as herself. If you cried watching this young woman skate up to the camera and yell “That's what I'm F– talking about” this piece is going to explain why it is, exactly, that Alysa touched a deep part of your heart. And on a similar but different Alysa Liu note, if you haven't read the letter she wrote to her “future retired self” seven years ago, you should. It's beyond sweet, totally prophetic, and inspiring. Makes me want to write one of my own tonight...

Epstein and the Agony of American Patriarch I'm hard pressed to go a day without saying the word Patriarchy, much less writing it. And somehow, in the mainstream coverage of this disaster for women and girls that is the Epstein files is never...the word Patriarchy. It's just missing as the natural conclusion to why so many powerful men got away with violence against women. HOW??? Anyways, this article was a strong breakdown from NYT bestseller Anna Malaika Tubbs, author of Erased: What American Patriarchy has Hidden From Us, who peels back the patriarch power structures that enabled the Epstein files to one day exist.

56th Woman to Complete Ranger School has some words for Pete Hegseth Read Mikayla's story and let it piss you off. Just me??? This is the type of behavior that gets to run rampant and un-restrained when the world is told women aren't fit for combat. One of the dearest friends in my life is a (woman) combat veteran, and stories like these serve to remind us that those women fighting for American freedoms on the front line deserve our respect, belief and support, regardless of their gender.

67 Books to Read by Women of Color in 2026. My what a lovely list, and some of my favorite writers included here. If you're in need of a great read, or a quick scroll through a LOT of great reads, Electric Lit has you covered. These are anticipated reads so in many situations you'll have to wait on them, but remember a preorder does a LOT for authors, so get in there!

The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis. Welp, this one will keep you up tonight. We've got a weird world ahead of us with autonomous AI, agents that act for us instead of just having conversations. And this piece plays out what the economics could look like with no brakes on the technology. There's plenty of critique of this essay (mainly: data??), but living in SF...so much of the conversations here are not only about AI, but about the scenario-planning of what happens when this technology wipes out entire labor segments (like high-paying engineering talent). A more grounded and interesting conversation to listen to is Ezra Klein's conversation about how fast AI agents will rip through the economy. But still, worrisome.

Other stray loves: My favorite Elisa Johnson sunglasses are back in stock. This handmade steel fishclip that was a gift, and that I LIVE for, is great for displaying photos and cards on my desk. And my favorite Etsy shop for vintage Turkish Rugs.

PASS IT ON

Stories are heirlooms. Here's one of mine:

I attended a double-birthday extravaganza – one part Napa, one part San Francisco. And it was truly too much fun to explain. Delighting in amazing meals with people that are so dear to me...what's not to love!? But also hi, happiness hangover (and like, actual hangover lol). The thing about these big weekends, the ones we SO look forward to, is that the sweetest moments aren't always the main ones. They're in the car ride back when you hit a conversational note with a friend that you didn't expect. Or in the Lil Jon playlist choice on the street at 2AM after the bartender kicked you all out. And the thirty five inside jokes steaming through the group text. These small moments are just as much the event as the event itself. I've been trying to remember that, to hold and appreciate that, and to let it be a halo of joy that buffers me from the sadness of it all being over. To more human connection, more gatherings, more love.

Woman on xx