Dear friends,

I hope this missive finds you and your loved ones as well as possible during this incredibly surreal time. My fledgling newsletter takes its name from a classic book about writing by Anne Lammot and is a phrase that reminds me to take things step by step, one terrifying decision or 20-second hand wash at a time.

This is one of the ways I'm practicing distant socializing to connect with all of you. Scroll down for short nuggets from my brain and my browser: poetry, playlists, stretching tips, satire, the long essay that won't budge from my 40 open tabs, and everything in-between.

I've included you on the initial subscribers list because I thought this might be something you'd enjoy. If it's not your jam or the length of this email just scared the #%@! out of you, just scroll down to the bottom to unsubscribe.

Today, like most of you, I am drowning in news about COVID-19. Every moment there is something new to be horrified about: the projections, the inhumane treatment of every individual on the front lines, the blinding inequity, unmerciful living conditions becoming even worse, inept government leaders and their daily immoral acts, and the painful reminders of how broken so many of our systems are. And every moment, there is something new to be grateful for: health-care workers, researchers, small neighborly acts, a growing community mindset, Zoom virtual backgrounds, postal workers, and each retail clerk ringing up our panic purchases.

While the rest of my newsletter steers mostly positive, I want to make it clear that this is not a Pollyana moment. I hear daily from different friends who are struggling, whether they are parents balancing childcare and office responsibilities, independent performing artists whose livelihoods have vanished, or lawyers representing detained immigrants who are being held in facilities with terrible sanitation standards. I feel enormously grateful for every aspect of my life that is allowing me to write to you today and for everybody out there doing their part to make this world a little better.

Take good care of yourselves and of each other,
Natalie

{Read}

Poetry.
A necessary little prayer from Danez Smith. Balancing upon a broken world with Amy Lowell. We are each other's magnitude and bond says Gwendolyn Brooks in "Paul Robeson". Every last word of Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky.

Also! We're 10 days away from National Poetry Month and I've decided to revive my decade-long tradition of posting a poem a day, so if you're looking for a daily poem starting in April, please subscribe over there.

Essays & Articles
A reflection on terrifying thunderstorms from childhood reminds us that shared vulnerability is essential to family life and to citizenship. Freaking out about the possibility of an 18-month lockdown? Perhaps there is another possible path forward. "We finally figured out what the Z stands for in Gen Z"--We live in Zoom now. A decline in polarization? A perpetual fear of physical touch? More than 30 big thinkers and leaders reflect on how our world could be change in the wake of this virus, for better and for worse.

Books
True confession? I haven't been able to focus on a book for a few weeks now. It turns out most of what I gravitate towards is belongs to the unofficial genre "heavy af," and my brain can't handle any more intensity right now. At the top of my dusty stack are The Water Dancer and Girl Woman Other. I will keep you posted on those, but in the meantime, try Such a Fun Age for a provocative page-turner that vacillates between the POV of a 25-year-old babysitter and her employer with some pretty scathing social commentary along the way. Here are LitHub's personalized quarantine book recommendations if you need more--and please, if you want physical copies, buy local!

{Listen}

Playlists
Seeking 11+ hours of chill music to calm your nerves? My friend John started a collaborative Spotify playlist this week called Calming for Corona. Add to it! If you need more soothing tunes, try NPR's Isle of Calm. Jonesin' to discover new artists? The Austin 100 showcases some of the fantastic musicians that didn't get to play at SXSW this year.

Albums
To help me focus while working this week I've been listening to Andrew Bird's instrumental landscapes on Echolocations: River and Echolocations: Canyon. And for some beautifully textured soul healing, check out Jamila Wood's album Legacy!Legacy!--each track highlights a legendary artist of color, ranging from Zora Neale Hurston to Frida Khalo.

Podcasts
It's hard to commit to yet.another.podcast. But you won't regret adding The Slowdown to your daily routine. For five minutes every weekday, former US Poet Laureate and all-around wonderful writer Tracy K. Smith reflects on the world through the lens of a single poem.

{Laugh}

Where's Waldo? is an easier question to answer these days. The absurd and resonant comics of TinySnekComics. Matt Shirley's hilariously on-the-nose charts. The motherload of corona memes (disclaimer: some are hilarious, some are... very bad.) Forbes curates a few memes if that link was too overwhelming for you or you're morally opposed to clicking on a Facebook link. "Welcome to your hastily prepared online college course." and a rousing new version of "I Will Survive" for teachers. A telenovela for our time.

{Take Care}

Stretch along and crack up while you're at it with these decade-old office stretch animations we really need. (In fact, I'm going to stand up and do The Hulk right now.) Make the most of the food you have and substitute ingredients if you need to. Health apps, if that's your thing, for meditating and exercising during self-isolation and tips for managing anxiety.

{Watch}

This newsletter is getting too long for movie/TV talk, so for now, I leave you two essential recommendations: 1) Live streaming concerts--please don't forget to contribute something to the artist for their time and work whenever you are able! 2) The streaming serenity of the Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams. The jellyfish and otters are my favorites.

{For Your Kids}

First of all: kudos to all of you with little ones if you haven't attempted this move yet amidst everything else going on in your life. I wanted to share these resources that have come across my radar in case they are helpful (and no, none of them are idealized schedules of home schooling): stories streaming on Audible, Scholastic Learn at Home, Penguin Kids weekday live story readings, drawing lessons from well-known illustrators and more read alouds from children's book authors, learning resources for K-6 on Tumblebooks and one more list of resources in case I missed anything, just for good measure.