finding joy 2/12
opening up the floor
Last week was an absolute blur. I don't know where it went. I didn't do anything spectacular, but I did do a lot of cleaning, purging, and shredding as I continue to get my house in order. I did the usual in between cleaning; I read, I wrote, I walked, I spent a stupid amount of time playing Candy Crush. But I'll be damned if I can find anything to write about this week that isn't dreadfully boring. No one wants to read about the things I found in the back of the fridge or how many cat toys I found behind the couch. Some weeks are just like that: not good, not bad, just another seven days where I existed in this world.
I am pretty busy putting together the collaborative posts that will go up this week. I gathered a bunch of music fans and had them write about their favorite 1994 albums, which are turning 30 this year. It's a celebration of good music, and a stark reminder of how fast time goes. That will start going up this week. I'm also busy writing something for a publication about new wave music.
So given all that, I want to do something else here. I want to know what you would like from this newsletter going forward. Some questions to ponder:
Are there any subjects you would specifically like me to cover in an essay?
Are there any albums/songs you would like to see me write about?
What kind of stories/essays do you like best here?
Is the Finding Joy column on Mondays something you look forward to?
Do you prefer the personal narrative essays about my current life or when I write about stories from my past?
Also, I am not really enamored with the new home of the newsletter. It's not as easy or as nice to use as Substack and I'm wondering if you see any difference on your end.
Please offer up any suggestions, comments, compliments or complaints. Writers love feedback, it's important to know if people are actually enjoying what we put out.
You can leave a reply here (I know comments aren't as robust as on Substack), DM me on twitter, or email me at michele.catalano@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
I thank you in advance for participating. Have a lovely week, and stand by for the 30 year album celebration.