Hello! Happy March! I hope I’m not jinxing things by saying…nice weather we’re having! In New York, at least. For two-hour periods in the sunniest part of the afternoon. I know we’re supposed to have “in like a lion” and “out like a lamb,” but what if instead, we had…I dunno. Baby deer throughout. Bunnies? I like bunnies!
Big Fan: The Anti-Burnout Life
Longtime readers of this newsletter have heard me mention my best friend Chloe a half-dozen times. Real-life friends have probably heard me mention her 100 times – after all, we’ve been friends for almost a decade. Chloe has been the biggest supporter of this newsletter project, even while juggling her own creative endeavors, counseling me through various personal crises big and small, and generally showing up every day as a top-tier all-time friend.
Also? She’s so pretty:
My intelligent, eloquent, thoughtful friend is launching her own Substack, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Chloe’s area of expertise is burnout – why it happens, how to heal from it, and ways you can keep burnout from derailing your life.
If you subscribe for free, you’ll have access to the same expert knowledge that has kept me from burning out. As I’ve ramped up my writing over the last few years, I’ve felt so lucky to have Chloe by my side. She reminds me to recharge my batteries and reconnect with my friends when things seem bleak. She helps me reframe my thinking when I get frustrated and reflect on my goals when I feel stuck.
She can help you do all that, too, if you sign up for her newsletter. Paid subscribers will also have access to discussion threads, Chloe's notes from her reading and research, SOUP-RELATED CONTENT1, and more. Here’s a handy link for you to subscribe. Chloe, I’m so proud of you – always, and especially right now!
NaPoWriMoRePo
That stands for National Poetry Writing Month Reader Poll!
April is National Poetry Writing Month, during which I write a single poem every day. You might’ve noticed this newsletter publishes four times a week.
That’s a lot of content! And in April, I’m going to focus on poetry in a big way. I’m trying to decide what that should look like. I’ve got a poll set up below, which you can vote in. But you can also respond directly to this email and share your thoughts with me – I genuinely want to know what you think. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Chef’s Recommendations (I’m Chef)
I have been doing what I call “hot dog reading,” which is to say…catchup.
Ahem.
Chiefly, the tabs I’ve had open for months. We’ve got Lesley Ann Warren on the making of Clue2, an interview with Gander the bonobo ape, and Kara Jorgensen’s advice on “writing for your best reader.”I also rewatched The Royal Tenenbaums this week, inspired by my own dang newsletter. Every time, I cry at different things. This week, it was “I always wanted to be a Tenenbaum, you know” / “Me, too,” and “I love you, Etheline. Congratulations to both of you.”
While digging through a shelf of books, trying to find a specific text I wanted to reference in an essay, I found my copy of All the Women in My Brain: And Other Concerns. This is Betty Gilpin’s memoir, and it was my favorite book of 2022. I normally don’t like memoirs very much. This felt more like a book about craft – and, specifically, Gilpin’s relationship to the craft of acting. When I first read the essay this title stems from, it felt like a wake-up call. I’d read stories from people with similar lives to mine, but reading Betty Gilpin, I thought, Oh, she thinks like I do. The cover alone is worth purchasing a copy.
If you’re looking for a sugary drink that tastes like sugar, might I recommend…Peepsi? I’m a huge sucker for marshmallow Peeps in every flavor. I’m also a huge sucker for things flavored to taste like marshmallow Peeps. This tastes like a mouthful of fluff, and I wish it were available year-round. Now, I just need to find the Peeps-flavored coffee creamer in stores.
Things I Did Not Buy This Week
First, an announcement: I bought something from a place previously featured in this column! I finally ordered something from Donna’s Dress Shop, it was the last one in my size, and I will include photos when I wear it to the event I bought it for (foreshadowing intensifies).
I did not buy a haunted doll this week. Another Instagram shop I’m enamored with is Home 2 Spirits, which sells…haunted objects. They don’t appear cursed! Just haunted! For example, the description of this doll reads, “Gabby is the perfect spirit for someone who is looking to clear out the OLD and bring in the NEW.” This mirrored pendant (?) “will give you intense visions of the future.” Some of them are marked as “very active” or even “highly interactive.” A few are “incredibly powerful,” others are the spirits of children, so they’re “playful.” Should I buy a haunted doll from a stranger online?
Boar's Head makes this "fiery chipotle gourmaise" which I need to wean myself off of. I have tried a variety of different chipotle sauces and seasonings, but so far, none of them have the right balance of chipotle spice and garlic flavor that this sauce does. If you have cheap recommendations, please let me know!
I thought I broke my favorite headphones. When I texted my brother to tell him, he asked how I could’ve possibly managed to break them, since they’re the sturdiest cheap headphones ever. It turns out, I actually broke my iPhone dongle (my second in a year). Why are iPhone dongles so flimsy, but my $20 in-ear headphones are stronger than steel?
I did not buy a four-pack of delicious Levain Bakery cookies, but thanks to an administrative fluke, I now have my next four meals planned out (and they’re all cookies). Nothing says “Friday” like a surprise cookie delivery!
Okay. That’s all for this week. Kiss your friends. Hug your animals. Thanks for reading!
Trust me. You want Chloe’s soup content.
Man, I wanna be in a Clue remake so bad! But film it Adam Sandler’s Grown-Ups style, where I just do it with a ton of my friends. I also want to be cast in a gender-swapped remake of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Okay, those are my dreams!