I am a voracious reader and every week I come across either a book, online piece or website I want to share with others. I’ve decided to curate these gems and highlight them on Friday. I hope you find these faves as insightful as I do.
- It’s no secret I am a fan of Dani Shapiro. I loved her piece in Oprah, “7 People You Will Lose in Your Life (and How to Cope).” The piece outlines losses I didn’t expect. It’s comforting and revealing, much like all of Shapiro’s writing. This passage resonated with me, “To love, to really live is to become willing to lose people, places, things, dreams, even to lose versions of ourselves that no longer serve us. And in place of what is lost, something new emerges. It may not be what we imagined. But it is beautiful and it is ours.”
- “Above All, Just Write! Tips for a Daily Writing Practice” by Karen Heslop offers advice on how to cultivate a writing practice by brainstorming different ways to approach the page. One piece of wisdom – “It might be helpful to see the project as a patchwork quilt.”
- I adore quotes and have notebooks filled with the words of others in my handwriting. Sometimes I will grab these journals and read several quotes and learn something new about time, place and myself. Cup of Jo featured several lovely quotes on the subject, “Becoming the Person You’re Meant to Be.”
- A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Mom by Kim Brooks explores the weighty question – Is parenthood the enemy of creative work?
What were your favorite reads this week?
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Thanks for the reminder about Cup of Jo. I haven’t been to her site in a while. Heading over!
Her site is great. From insightful to quirky to fun – I adore visiting Cup of Jo.
I’m a Dani Shapiro fan myself. It always gives me a double take because I dated a Dan Shapiro. Not the same!
And I used to read Cup of Jo. Like Nina, I needed a reminder.
I believe Shapiro has written a few articles for Oprah. You might find another gem you like if you do a search on the site. Her words always resonate with me.
Thanks for the link to Cup of Jo. Those quotes are perfect to keep handy for a pick-me-up.
I’ve been meaning to read Dani Shapiro’s article. Also, have you seen Elizabeth Gilbert’s monthly column in Oprah’s magazine?
I did hear that Gilbert is now writing a regular column for Oprah. I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the reminder, Jackie.