3.8 — Lag

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        July 9, 2026

3.8 — Lag

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Tomorrow (Friday, July 10) and Saturday (July 11) will be Cuppa’s VERY LAST DAYS (at the usual hours, 9am-2pm)! Come and celebrate with one last (or many last) cuppa(s).
Madeleine’s Creative Writing Workshop is on Monday, July 13, and the theme is Meaning, which might be helpful for anyone last-minute working on their Glint stories, because:
Glint: Mean is the next day, on Tuesday, July 14. Hear from Joshua, Allyson, Morgan, Christof, James, Madeleine, me, Dan, and José. We’ve got three spots left, so if you’re interested in telling, reply to let us know, or signup using Whiteboard.
On July 25, there will be a special post-Cuppa-closure event where Beth will be selling many items (furniture, merch, and equipment) at a discounted price.

Ciao, amici miei!
Livvy and I returned from our travels this past Monday night. It was a perfectly satisfying trip: long enough, delightfully novel, filled with plenty of splendor, and shared with some of our oldest and dearest friends. I could probably use twice the time we were away to process it all, and by summer’s end I’ll perhaps find a satisfactory summary. For the time being, it is painfully abbreviated and imprecise to say it was [OK-hand gesture making a sort of floppy yet flourish-y zipper motion from left to right].
And also: it is so so nice to come back to times and people that are just as wonderful in their own ways. I love that coming home feels like a reunion for a time that is still in progress.
—Iván
← ~June 25–July 4
Bureaucratic Minutiae

Mary Ann’s Book Club rated Life After Cars 3.3.
At Worknight: Alex submitted 2 pull requests and quietly reflected for 60 minutes; Norton organized his home; Joe fixed scorekeeping; and Ryan wrote a cover letter and completed a grocery order.
At Powerpoint Party No. 40: Micah warned folks with uteri what to expect from menopause, Lauren S. delivered an abridged history of hysteria, Chris took us on a walk and convinced us to save the sidewalks from AI, Emily assured us that Oliver Cromwell’s severed head got what it deserved, Andrew explained how he stopped worrying and learned to love the empire, Lauren T. corrected the record about who invented the at-home pregnancy test, Simon gave a rundown on painting miniatures, Jose sparked curiosity for how we might use language to change the social imaginary and build the world we want to see, and Jim shared film photography from some of Peru’s greatest heights. Writeup by Morgan
Finally, a reminder that The Company is a member-supported gathering place. If you’d like to pop in for a workday and you know one of us, reach out to schedule a time and we can let you in for free. If we don’t know you yet, reach out so we can get to know you, or come by an event and say hi.

Nostalgia
Do you remember that week-and-a-half that some of us were away? How everything went great?
The book club about Life After Cars, with a couple of new faces?
The small Worknight, led by Ryan? How you all listened to Joe explain his idea for a game, and cheered when he fixed a bug? How Alex contemplated life and meaning just days before a particularly notable life event?
The First Friday Feast?
How we later all heard news about the exciting start of the hospital visit?
And do you remember the smaller Powerpoint Party? How Lauren T. hosted, and presented, and stumbled through some parts but everyone was super supportive? How Jessica S. came to help set up but you finished everything so it was really just for emotional support for Lauren T.? Jim’s surprise presentation when he saw the thin lineup? How you still had good conversations and lingered for a long time? How multiple presentations focused on women and sexism which felt really poignant on Independence Day?
How we learned about our newest member?
Photos
(Starting with photos from the week before, since those got skipped)
I think this had something to do with our excitement about Norton being back? Honestly can’t remember. Maybe it was just lunch.
Also forgot what this was about. Maybe one of Alex’s last days in before becoming a dad?
Maybe one of Alex’s last recesses before becoming a dad?
A lunchtime call (in birthday hats, ’cause of my birthday) with Patrick.
This call led to slightly more clarity and slightly more confusion.
A hurried re-searching of the space. This search led to no new forks, though one fork was later found, but it was an old fork.
A birthday-hatted recess.
For my birthday I did a solo show where I read original fiction, but I was panic-writing and -editing right up until it started, so Ryan, Ellen, and Norton helped set up all the tech for me. Thank you all again for your help! Photo by Lizzie
Highly recommend, as a way to celebrate you birthday, being stressed the whole entire day with a self-imposed creative deadline. You’ll get older twice as fast. Photo by Madeleine
Livvy at first walked right in front of a fan which blew out the candle, so this took a re-lighting. Photo by Lizzie
Me talking through a semi-fictional table of contents. Photo by Madeleine
Some folks chewing on pie and some stories. Photo by Madeleine
This was a story that was sort of about the writing of these stories. Photo by Madeleine
And this was a story based largely on Thomas L.’s work. Photo by Madeleine
Oh wait no maybe this was one of Alex’s last recess walks?
As you may know by now, we take matching photos when people are dressed the same. Here, Jessica P. and Livvy can both be seen wearing being pregnant, which they’ve both been wearing for a couple of months now, but this was the last time they’d both be wearing it at the same time.
Our babies are sort of hugging each other too! 🥹😭
A Worknight chit-chatty break.
A star-filling.
Before a star-ceremony. (And this concludes the photos that would have appeared in the previous issue)
Mary Ann’s Book club. Photo by Norton
Also Mary Ann’s Book club. I assume this is some commentary on what it’s like to live in a car-centric world? Really no idea. I could have asked but I am sleepy. Photo by Norton
Worknight, with a new rotating Worknight host, Ryan! Photo by Norton
First Friday Feast! Non-candid. Photo by Jessica S.
First Friday Feast! Definitely candid. We love being on phones around here. It’s our favorite way to socialize. Speaking of people who love being on their phones: this was in fact the last documented time that Alex and Jessica P. were in Company before having a child. Photo by Jessica S.
Lauren S. says she took this as an easter egg for me, which I love, but also I must show all of you because easter eggs are for sharing. Photo by Lauren S.
Thanks to Lauren S. for mostly taking all of the photos this night, and to Lauren T. for hosting, and to Ryan and Norton for running tech! And to Ellen and Joe and Christof and Jessica S. and anyone else who helped! Photo by Lauren S.
Micah on pausing menses. Photo by Lauren S.
Lauren S. on the history of hysteria. Photo by Norton
Chris on the craft of sidewalk stamps. Photo by Lauren S.
Doesn’t Emily look so cool and nonchalant about the artistic portrayal of beheadings? I see this photo and I think wow, that would be such a fun person to hang out with. Photo by Lauren S.
The photos from this presentation lead me to believe Andrew gave five different presentations, or gave many fake presentations before giving this real presentation. In any case, I know for other reasons that Andrew was very much involved in an election night party (as was one of our spotlights!). Photo by Lauren S.
Lauren T. on pregnancy test invention attribution. Photo by Lauren S.
Simon (occasionally confused with his doppelgänger Alexei) on painting miniatures. Photo by Lauren S.
José giving a book report (or perhaps a books report?). Photo by Lauren S.
And Jim, sharing photos of his recent trip. Photo by Lauren S.

—
This issue of Paperwork was written by Iván with additional reporting by Ryan, Lauren T., and Morgan, and was shot by Iván, Madeleine, Lizzie, Norton, Jessica S., and Lauren S. Photo selection and editing by Iván and Jessica S. Editorial support was provided by Livvy and Norton. This issue, and The Company itself, was made possible by the support of our members, Halie, Drew J., Justin, Mason, José, Mary Ann, Trevr, Allyson, Lizzie, Elijah, Michelle, Jim, Jacob, Mark, Sabrina, Beth, Dani, Chris, Will, Rebeca, Sarah, Alex, Jessica P., Jessica S., Ben, Sam Ad., Christof, Ryan, Lauren T., Madeleine, Simon, Adam, Gus, Lauren S., Earl, Bennett, Sylvia, Morgan, Joe, Case, and our brand newest member, Vivian.
Feel free to forward. Everyone loves Paperwork.
🥱

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