Dear friend,

This is an experiment in sharing what’s on my mind and my calendar, reveling in the resurgence of old-school newsletters as an alternative to social media. Whether we talk every day or haven't talked in years, I hope you take it as an offering and let me know if we intersect anywhere. If it’s not for you, there’s a way to unsubscribe at the bottom :)

On repeat

As fall comes to an end, these things are living in my head rent free - I'd love to take them out of the rock tumbler that is my mind and discuss them with you instead:

• Non-fiction books that attempt to make sense of our current political/economic landscape:

  • Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

  • Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber

  • Chokepoint Capitalism by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow

• Beautiful science fiction about identity, otherness, and consumption:

  • A Memory Called Empire + A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

• Comforting cozy/solar-punk novellas for those who need a break:

  • A Psalm for the Wild-Built  + A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers

• Essays/blogs:

  • A proposal for police reform along the lines of Teach for America

  • RE: Taylor Swift as Person of the Year

  • What goes into building a good social media site

  • Scott Alexander's kidney donation journey

  • Brennan Lee Mulligan on joining the calls for a ceasefire in Gaza

• God Grief’s other-worldly track Am I An Airport

This list could be more diverse - which bloggers/essayists do you read?

Travel

If we'll be in the same place at the same time, I’d love to see you:

• DC, Jan 13-14

  • Jan 13: Swept Away @ Arena Stage

• San Francisco, Feb 14-19

  • TBD: Yayoi Kusama @ SF Moma (tickets go on sale Jan 4 👀)

• Seattle, Feb 20-24

  • Feb 20: Bandits on the Run @ The Triple Door

• Montreal, Apr 5-9

  • Apr 8: Eclipse…somewhere?

Got any recs for these places?

NYC this Winter

You can find/join me at:

• Jan 4: Tocca @ Mercury Lounge

• Jan 12: Camp Bedford @ Union Pool

• Feb 7: The Following Evening @ Perelman Performing Arts Center

• Feb 9: Sorry Darling @ The Gutter (Williamsburg)

• TBD/let’s make a plan:

  • Queens Botanical Garden

  • NY Transit museum - touring Old City Hall in Feb or March! Tickets go on sale (and will sell out on) Jan 10

  • Any talk at the NY Historical Society

Where does the time go?

A few things I’m learning about/working on:

• Jumping into the Clinical Trial space (I'm still at Flatiron Health, switching teams in the new year)

• Sewing patches onto a denim jacket and trying not to lose too much blood to needle pricks

• Beginner Spanish, so I can talk to folks at my local library

Light

I used to think of winter as the darkest season, but with the longest night of the year as its kick-off it now feels to me that winter is perhaps about the light that is coming rather than the dark we are leaving. Many things in the world feel dark right now, and I’m not sure how to find the light in them - but I’ll keep trying.

Speaking of the light - here’s some I found on film this fall:

Until next time (see you in the spring!),

Beth

P.S. did you like this? love this? hate this? reply and let me know how you are and what you think! 🔮