Tonight, April 10, those of you fortunate enough to be in our near Cambridge (our fair city) MA should come join me at Porter Square Books at 7pm to talk with John Chu about his debut novel, The Subtle Art of Folding Space, a wonderful book about family, universe design, and dim sum. It’s out now and well worth your reading!

I don’t have much more for you today, I’m afraid. I started work on an essay earlier this week, but it’s not quite there yet. I’ve settled into a new writing rhythm which has brought me into a more joyfully productive space than I’ve occupied for a long time, with the side effect of, well, wearing me out by the time I get around to writing for this medium. It’s not a hack, really, it’s not a productivity system, it’s just the silliest thing: I found my old hourglass! It got lost in the move a couple years back, and last week I opened an unregarded box and there it was, swaddled up in newspaper.

I’ve made do for the last couple years with a combination of a desk timer and time-boxing, and both have their advantages, but the 50-minute hourglass is a particular joy. There’s no stress to it, no complexity, just a quiet, hissing visual reminder of the time I’ve dedicated to work, rather than to the house or to parenting or to business or finances or news or general stress. When my attention swerves, the sand guides it back.

Take care of yourselves, friends! Happy reading. Work for the liberation of all sentient beings.