> 190: What are you trying to be free of?
Thomas Hoepker, Magnum Photos
Heyo,
Here's some art, internet, and ideas for you:
If you’re getting gifts for people this winter and have recipients who might appreciate something cause-driven, make a donation in their name (and then tell them!) to organizations that are shoring up democracy and human rights. Four I’d recommend are the National Network of Abortion Funds, Run For Something (which helps elect young people to local, state, and federal office to help dig us out of our gerontocracy), the Indivisible Movement of local organizing, or Trans Lifeline.
For gifts of the more “here’s an object” variety, as in years past, here’s my Guide to Gift Guides. Look to Lottie and Doof for a collection of eclectic beautiful things, Rachel Syme for little treats, Caroline Chambers for people who like cooking, Helen Rosner for always-legendary food-related suggestions, Robin Sloan for useful things and books, Sight Unseen for when you maybe have too much money to spend on gifts, and Cup of Jo for when you just need a firehose of ideas from people with good taste. Finally, there’s also a gift guide for sworn enemies.
“Our mistake was to think we lived in a better country than we do… Our mistake was to think we could row this boat across the acid lake before the acid dissolved it.” Rebecca Solnit, essential.
“I realize now that if you can give a fuck then you must also be able to receive. And that’s the key. You cannot manufacture more fucks. You cannot grow them or graft them or transplant them. You absolutely cannot buy them, not from anywhere or anyone, not at any price. But you can receive them as a gift, you can accept them. And in that way your collection of fucks to give can be renewed.” Toward a unified theory of fucks.
A giant spreadsheet of all the books, luxuries, and tracks recommended over the years on BBC's Desert Island Discs.
Thinkin’ bout the internet: Don’t call it a Substack (please!); for the love of god, make your own website; you don’t actually have to stay on Twitter (by me).
Pertaining to the above: One of the little things giving me some hope for ::gestures vaguely:: the future is BlueSky, which I’ve talked about before (here I am over there if you want to say hi). There’s been lots of movement toward BlueSky since the election, and people are discovering the old-internet joys of a platform that a) doesn’t viciously suppress links and b) shows you posts from people you follow in the order that they post those posts. Yay! Let’s bring back the open web.
Some BlueSky tools and fun things: a directory of “starter packs” of suggested accounts to follow, which are a defining feature of the service; powerful block lists (there’s a healthy culture of quick blocking on BlueSky that means you control your experience there—you’re not actually obligated to have a bad time on social media platforms); a tool to convert starter packs to lists (so you can check in every now and then versus committing to follows); make fun little bots; BlueSky profanity as it happens; “receipts” based on what you tend to skeet about.
Looking forward to: Casey Johnston’s book about lifting, which I am ordering a rare physical copy of (rather than an e-book) so my husband and I can share it; the new (last???) Cruise Impossible.
Indivisible’s (mentioned above) new practical guide to organizing in your local community.
It’s probably a good time to brush up on bystander intervention techniques.
A lovely profile of communal living situations that include communal cooking.
If you’re a person who drinks cocktails, consider Cynar-based cocktails for winter drinks. Try the Rancor’s Toothpick or the In Cold Blood. (Bonus: Cynar cocktails have metal names.)
Now I let it fall back
in the grasses.
I hear you. I know
this life is hard now.
I know your days are precious
on this earth.
But what are you trying
to be free of?
The living? The miraculous
task of it?
Love is for the ones who love the work.
—Joseph Fasano, “For a student who used AI to write a paper”
Laura
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