our pleasure in March
crocuses and cardinals
Emory here with our intro this month. I’ve been thinking about this tweet I saw a screenshot of on Instagram a lot lately:
It’s been rough out here, y’all. I announce to Jozef, our housemate Z, and Marmalade at least three times a day: we’re cooked.
But! The birds are here.
The birds are out and about in these earliest days of spring, which means my phone is out so I can take shitty photos of the birds. My work desk is opposite the window with the birdfeeder, so I get to see our little visitors when I look up from my laptop. And let me tell you, it makes my heart happy!
Anyway—here’s what’s been bringing us joy this month.
Emory
I’ve really appreciated reading ’s newsletter, especially this recent post:
She put into words a lot of the things that have been swirling around my mind lately: feeling stuck, struggling to stay engaged when the world is overwhelming.
I’ve also been reading ’s newsletter; this one resonated with me:
I’m technically a midwesterner but I’ve lived all over the place, with long stints in “red states,” and Jo’s a southerner—Florida born and raised. Since moving up north to a “blue state,” we’ve struggled a lot with the red vs blue labels. We’re constantly hearing people write off entire states and regions because of the red state label, and to be completely honest with you, it’s fucking annoying to hear people talk (overgeneralized!) shit about places and people we love. (Hey, New Yorkers—maybe direct that energy toward the mask ban Gov. Hochul is pushing!)
Jozef
This month, I listened to Real Americans by Rachel Khong and the narrators, Louisa Zhu, Eric Yang, and Eunice Wong, were so talented. The novel is a bit heavy-handed thematically, using both a scientific study and a twist of magical realism to explore questions about the competing influences of heritage, race, class, and luck in shaping the lives of individuals and families, but I don’t mind that in an audiobook since I’m usually cleaning or cooking while listening.
Emory finished our read-aloud of A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, and started reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Like I’ve mentioned, I loved The Candy House and I have an even greater appreciation for the narration style Egan crafted after reading her first stab at it in Goon Squad. The sheer number of unique voices telling the same story made me feel like I was getting decades of gossip. We’re not too deep into Station Eleven, but Emory has been wanting me to read it for years and so far I’m really enjoying it.
In the non-fiction department, I’ve read two books lent to me by friends. Loving Corrections by adrienne maree brown was exactly as good as I anticipated it would be, and I’m looking forward to using it as a source for a conflict resolution training I’m working on for April. The other book I’ve been slogging through since July 2024—a dear friend and self-proclaimed philosophy nerd lent me the first two volumes of Foucault’s The History of Sexuality. I read volume one and enjoyed our conversation afterwards more than the book itself.
Emory
Jo and I watched Anora this month, and the big takeaway is: don’t fuck with sex workers! Every punch, kick, or scratch Ani landed had me cheering.
We also watched I Used to Be Funny, which felt so 2010s. (I can’t remember the last time I watched a non-musical movie with that included so many songs with words on the soundtrack.) Rachel Sennott gave a grounded, compelling performance, and Caleb Hearon was an absolute delight.
Jozef
We finished Season 3 of Abbott Elementary this week (just in time for the run of Season 4 to wrap) and I gotta say, I love those teacher freaks.
Emory
I’ve been listening to more albums recently (versus just listening to my playlists). Most notably, MAYHEM. The new Lady Gaga album may be a recession indicator, but if we’re staring down a recession, I wouldn’t be able to face it without new Gaga!
Other albums I’ve had on repeat recently:
Punisher (2020) by Phoebe Bridgers
Alligator Bites Never Heal (2024) by Doechii
the record (2023) by boygenius
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990) by George Michael
Carrie & Lowell (2015) by Sufjan Stevens
Puberty 2 (2016) by Mitski
Jozef
I’ve been religiously listening to my chorus tracks to prepare for the onslaught of concerts the gay men’s chorus will be performing at over the next few months for Trans Day of Visibility, Pride, and our regularly scheduled programming. I also listened to Lil Nas X’s singles—have I mentioned I love gay people making gay music?
Emory
I smoked weed for the first time in a while (I’ve been sticking to edibles for a couple years now), which I enjoy as an occasional treat. Let me tell y’all: weed is how I’m coping with the horrors. More on that in an upcoming newsletter, perhaps?
I’ve been working on the first draft of a novel veryyyyyy slowly—I write maybe two pages in my Moleskine on a good day. Normally, I’m really hard on myself regarding the speed and quality of my writing, which is a huge hindrance for first drafts. BUT. I read ’s newsletter on rules for first drafts, and trying to stick to those rules for myself has been such a huge help:
Reminding myself that my job is to “show up to the document and pay attention” has made me feel a lot more relaxed about the speed of my writing—as long as I’m sitting with my notebook, pencil in hand, and paying attention, I’m Doing The Work. And because I want to tease you into reading Hurley’s rules for yourself: number two on the list was a real game-changer for me.
I’ve also been working on a small art piece (with Jo’s assistance) and a zine-chapbook-comic book-mini graphic novel sort of thing.
Jozef
Quilting for the Transmissions Quilt Project, transplanting seedlings for our garden, and spotting crocuses and snowdrops on our walks have been my main activities of late. Also helping Emory with his many artistic endeavors (I love being an elf in the workshop).
Emory
I think Jo covered it below. Sorry to be uninteresting.
Jozef
I’ve bought two grocery store cheesecakes in the past two weeks. Strawberries and raspberries are starting to come into season in the South and a little slice of cheesecake with a mountain of berries is the perfect little treat.
I also made gochujang caramel cinnamon buns for our friend A’s birthday using the same ratios of butter, gochujang, and dark brown sugar as the cookie recipe I shared back in December for the cinnamon filling (still add the cinnamon to the filling as called for in your cinnamon roll recipe). Do yourself a favor and try it. I used Mother In Law’s original gochujang for mine. Truly perfect.
Alright, that’s it for March!
P.S. Go look at some birds.
