PINK SUITS, MONIES, AND BREAKING FREE

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!!

Needed this: I'm completely unable to put down The Other Side of Paradise by Vanessa Beaumont right now. It's a chunk of a read, and it's not that “plotty”, but there's an intimate portrayal of the main character, Jean's, inner world and the profound loneliness that can exist in marriage. Our main character seeks refuge from that loneliness via a passionate affair that has repercussions for the rest of her life. Set in 1920s England, it beautifully captures how society's expectations trap women between institutional demands and heart's desires. It's a powerful exploration of what we'll sacrifice to protect those we love. This one was reminding me of The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough, but I also think if you love Downtown Abbey you'd dig The Other Side of Paradise. I'll have this book finished by next week, and I'll let you know how it fully lands!

Also, don't forget that Of My Own Making by Daria Burke is officially out in stores!!! A beautiful exploration on how we choose who we become.

What I'm writing: As you've heard me say before, so much writing is the not writing...and one of the best writing-not-writing things I did this week was interview volleyball royalty Pat and Sharkie Zartman, who hosted Jackie Silva when she left everything in Brazil to come train on the beach in the USA. Pat was Jackie's Olympic coach, so hearing his account of her journey was so cool, so eye-opening. The Zartmans are such wise and open-hearted people, I could see how someone would find enormous success with a coaching and support staff like them in their corner.

WOMEN’S STUDIES

What gets passed down becomes our history.

Some interesting pieces that have filled my week:

Sex without women. What happens when men prefer porn? That's the question at the heart of this Atlantic article. And reading this won't make you feel better, but it will get you thinking. When a generation of people grows up on flat, extreme sex material, where does that leave their ability to deal with all that makes intimacy real: the needs of other, the insecurities, the tensions, the mistakes, the messiness...

Are you the only one broke? Or is it Money Dysphoria? I know from writing historical fiction that in times of real, global busts, a boom-time aesthetic is coveted and weirdly in style. No wonder why #RichTok is trending rn, but this was an interesting exploration in the Times about what young and not-so-young people are feeling when their feeds are filled with private jets in one swipe, and “my spend-free year” in another.
 
Hacks Season 3, Episode 6 “Par for the Course” might be one of my favorite episodes of television ever? Honestly, one of the best seasons. If you're not watching Hacks on HBO Max, which just started its fourth season, YOU ARE SO LUCKY. It is such good television. The basic premise is that a washed up comedian Deborah (Gene Smart) is teetering on irrelevancy with her residency in Vegas, when her team brings in Ava (Hannah Einbinder) a young, progressive writer. The two are incredible foils for each other, and their connection is what keeps the show engrossing.

PASS IT ON

Stories are heirlooms. Here's one of mine:

I did something very outside my comfort zone and had the very talented stylist Emily Lacey come over to give my closet an edit...meaning, what IS my personal style, what's missing from my wardrobe, what can I unlock from what I already have, why do I love what I love? We first came up with my three words: Creative, Confident, Cool. Then I put together about 20 images of women whose style I love (no surprise, they were all very chic/artistic elders), and then we spent 4 hours trying clothes on, putting outfits together, taking photos, and educating me on why things work, and why things don't. It was Creative Pragmatist (my new favorite book on personal style) come alive. And I walked out with a ton of stuff I'm giving away and an entirely new understanding of where my style is headed (however, when asked about how we want to handle my three hot pink suits, I admitted I was not emotionally ready to deal with that question...yet.)

Highly recommend the book and a little outside help. It's so empowering, so fun!


Woman on xx

PS, don't forget to RSVP to Daisy on May 16th at E. Shaver Books, located in the historic Gingerbread House in Savannah.