POSTCARDS, PORTUGAL AND GREAT WOOL
Aug 13, 2026
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!!
Weeping in my hotel bedroom: Well, THEO OF GOLDEN did me all the way in on vacation. With the window of my Porto hotel room open, overlooking the Douro river, I finished this 500+ page wonderkind of a novel. The premise isn’t one that immediately makes any sense: old man goes to small Georgia town, loves the portraits on the wall, and returns them to their subjects? Huh? But the novel is so sweet, and so special, about the ways we find connection, about small acts of generosity, about the lessons we learn in a long-life lived. There were some mysteries that kept me reading when the middle felt a bit slow – and I’m so glad I did keep reading. Because as those questions marks were answered, and all the threads came together, I wept through the last 30 pages of the book. Normally, I’m not one to tell you that you HAVE to finish a book, but with Theo of Golden, you HAVE to finish the book.
What I’ve been writing: Postcards!! So many post cards are currently en route from Lisbon to USA because – I’m happy to report – that I spent 10 days in Portugal NOT writing. I didn’t even take my computer, which was such a huge win for me. It wasn’t until 6 days into my trip that I could feel my brain and my body settle into vacation mode – but during that time I did lots of journaling! And re-reading of my journal. And the most amount of postcard writing ever. I highly recommend this vacation activity if you don’t already practice it. Get some international stamps as soon as you arrive. Buy postcards as you beebop around a new city. And write those postcards during long meals and sunset views.
WOMEN’S STUDIES
What gets passed down becomes our history.
Every closed door is in service of your future
Before I hopped on a plane to Portugal, I got another rejection for another book project – and this one hit pretty close to home because it was my own publisher saying they doubt my ability to break the new book idea out in a crowded space. I didn’t cry (because I had sorta predicted it by this point), but I did slam my computer shut and say “I’m fucking sick of this. Why am I even writing books?” A lot of my Portugal time was spent journaling my answers to that question. And you might have your closed door moments piling up on you, too. And if you do, you must watch this video from my college bestie, Mo. She plays a clip of her dad (who is a legend) telling the story of a closed door that literally saved his life. Rob was a special man, to this world and to his world, and it was a honor to love and be loved by him. I had previously known this story, but I’d never seen this video, and I was wiping tears off my face by the end. If you click on one thing this week, it’s this video.
It’s insane to me how many data centers are popping up in the literal backyards of middle America. And at what cost? There’s a lot of information and disinformation circulating around the aggressive strategies to get data centers built quickly….and to power….what? LLMs that “write a better email”? I work in San Francisco, I collaborate with tech execs, and I know AI very well. I both know the world is changing because of this technology, and also believe that we’re sitting on a bubble built on top of an AI race. Or an AI race built on top of a bubble. This conversation between Ezra Klein and Jasmine Sun is excellent reporting on what’s going on with data centers, and how they’re unifying frustrations regardless of what political party you subscribe to.
The Six Forces that Fuel Friendship
Julie Beck did 100 interviews of friends for the Atlantic, and then wrote this piece when she concluded the project. As someone who just traveled to another country to be with 3 friends – all of whom haven’t been together, just us, in over 10 years – many of these notes hit really close to home. About what makes friendship work. About what’s needed. About why our friendships are so core to our existence. It’s a lovely read, and the end has a good reminder for all of us.
Because I spent 34 hours on a plane, I spent a lot of time watching movies. But no movie was more intense than Nuremberg, starring Remi Malek. Woah, what a powerful watch about the Nazi officers put on trial after the conclusion of WWII, something no legal expert thought could be done. What a powerful story (and powerful acting!!). It’s definitely very timely, an important part of history, and just a damn good drama.
Other stray links: I also watched Three Body Problem and Is this Thing On? The latter was directed by Bradley Cooper, and he has a small role in the movie…and he’s perfect. Like the more I watch of this guy, the more talented I think he is. I also fell in love with Portugal wool from Burel Factory – and bought up their placemats, coasters and giant blanket (very practical things to try and stuff into my suitcase??) They have stunning stuff. I also made it to my very favorite perfume shop, Zeilinski and Rosen, which if you’re in Europe you must stop in for perfume, diffusers, soaps, galore! My friend Daria sent me this video, and it’s a moving nod to the fact that the single women in our lives are living fully!
PASS IT ON
Stories are heirlooms. Here’s one of mine:
Before I met my galpals in Lisbon, I traveled for 4 days alone through Porto. And it was lovely – I went to a Piano concert at the musical hall, had a glass of wine under a large tree looking at nothing but the sky, walked the river and talked to strangers. It was so special. And a few days into the trip, I realized I was noticing best friends at dinner, and feeling jealous. Because I wanted to be on a bench giggling with my besties and talking about nothing for the 200th time. And how this longing is so different than what it was when I used to travel alone in my 20s. Back then, I would look at all the cute couples and wish to be traveling with someone wonderful. And it’s not like I’ve found that Mr. Wonderful, but I have found a truer truth: which is that yes, romance is romance and it’s lovely. But our best friends are a love story, too.
Woman on xx
