Good Stuff
Good Stuff
Essays, books, multi-media, music, poems, and other important distractions
Each month I’ll post a newsletter about Good Stuff: essays, books, multi-media, music, poems, and other creative work that has touched me in some way. I encourage you to share in the comments Good Stuff that have touched you in some way.
I heard about Substack a year ago when a blogger I follow announced she would be sending her newsletters using this platform. I have been writing newsletters since 2012 so I assumed that Substack was just another platform like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Mailerlite, etc.
But I didn’t explore Substack until last fall when several writers I follow also switched to Substack to send their newsletters. Then I read a newsletter about the community of Substack and I began to poke around. What I discovered was indeed a community of writers (thousands) and readers (millions) interacting in thoughtful and intelligent discussions. There is so much good stuff on Substack that I must regulate how much time I spend on it daily! There are well-known published authors (some releasing chapters of their new books here), journalists, essayists, storytellers, artists, content creators, educators, and much lesser-known writers like myself who are using Substack to share their thoughts, ideas, and creative projects. Search for any topic that interests you and you are likely to find at least one person writing about it. Many have abandoned social media, devoting their time to the thoughtful Substack community.
Three Substack writers that easily distract me:
Practical Self-Reliance - If you are interested in creating a life of more resilience or are curious about modern homesteading, Ashley’s newsletters are the best. You don’t have to have a homestead or garden to build resilience in a world of increasing uncertainty. For me, a pantry full of canned, frozen, and dehydrated food from my garden and local growers is a form of hygge (contentment).
Oldster Magazine - Inspiring comments and ideas from many people about aging. This month, one essay settled in my heart: Monster-in-Residency. Caregiving is rapidly becoming a key issue in our aging culture but few people talk openly about the challenges of caring for an emotionally and mentally distressed loved one.
Life in the Real World - When I open my email each morning, I quickly scan to see if Karen has published a new photo essay. This past month she featured Ducks and Ice. I smile each time I view her photos.
Book: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
I have read several of Hannah’s books and appreciate her research and focus on relationships in her novels. But some of her books were not strong enough for me to finish. Winter Garden is not one of those books. Written in 2010, this long novel (400 pages) uses a clever literary approach: a story within a story. Most readers agree that it is a bit of a slow start but hang in there - the book builds layers of storytelling. The day I finished this book, I was left with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. It is truly one of the most emotionally engaging books I have read in a long time.
From the publisher:
Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.
Multi-media: Valemon The Bear: Myth in the Age of the Anthropocene
We need more oral storytelling in our lives. I would love to attend a storytelling session each month at my local library. Where are the storytellers? Traditionally, older women were often the keepers of stories in their communities - the Wise Women. An ancient tradition worth bringing back!
Dr. Martin Shaw is a masterful storyteller and I have watched/listened to this beautiful presentation of a Russian fairytale multiple times. The idea of bone memory is such a rich metaphor.
“Is it naive to say that the world as we know it won’t end if we keep telling stories? Maybe not, if we reconsider the kinds of stories we tell. Ancient stories, myths, old tales—these kinds of stories hold something powerful. Call it bone memory, call it the deep, primordial part of ourselves, call it the voice that gossips with the wild, across species and across time. If we listen, we hear it calling. If we listen, we find ourselves deep in the forest, where a large white bear holds something we all desire. What journey lies ahead if we follow our deepest longing?”
Valemon The Bear: Myth in the Age of the Anthropocene
Short Documentary: Gardening in a War Zone
I watched this video last month and was deeply affected. The brutal invasion of Ukraine is heartbreaking and this story of a flower gardener, caring for her elders and sick husband turns to her garden to find a way to make income and solace.
NYT garden writer, Margaret Roach, wrote an article about her and it includes a link to a 33-minute documentary on YouTube.
Ukranian Gardener (NY Times)
Documentary: Fly With Me on American Experience (on Public Broadcasting Service)
When I was in my mid-teens, I dreamed of becoming a stewardess. Despite never having been on an airplane, the idea of flying all over and seeing the world seemed so exotic to me while living in my dreary midwestern working-class neighborhood. For reasons I don’t remember that dream faded.
I started this film last night thinking it might be a bit mindless. I was wrong: it is a compelling and remarkable examination into the exploitation, manipulation, sexualization, and prejudice that women endured during the early days of the commercial airline industry. Who knew that flight attendants pursued social justice issues long before it was called social justice? Watch this 2-hour documentary and make the younger generations in your life watch it so they can learn an important history lesson that will never make it to a textbook or classroom.
Here’s the trailer: Fly With Me
NYTimes article/interview with one of the champions of this social justice movement.
What are your thoughts or reactions to my collection of this month’s Good Stuff? Share your comments and anything that you consider Good Stuff.
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I'm a Kristin Hannah fan, too. She just had a new book, The Women, published this month, and I'm excited to read it. Here's a summary I lifted off the web: "The novel follows the life of young nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath, whose traditional upbringing is upended by the Vietnam War, her decision to volunteer and the bitter divisions it creates in the U.S."
Thanks for these recommendations! I also check for Karen Davis' photo essays each day. She captures the magic, with a sense of humor.