"She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged"
I have been typing and backspacing a pithy, blasé introductory sentence about this, well, (gestures at screen) for over 15 minutes; and in the interest of time, have decided to lead with earnestness. I am starting a newsletter, and you are reading it. Yay! Welcome!
I feel obliged to share why I am doing this, because I believe an important part of following through on unpaid passion projects is to have a clearly stated goal or purpose:
I want to have an excuse to write on a regular schedule, and practice putting work out there that is not “perfect”, but is “good enough.”
I want to share my life & my art with a community outside of social media. I am so grateful to know all the people I do, and I want to forge & foster connections with them (and you!) in a way that feels more authentic to myself. Instagram just isn’t fun anymore.
For now, you can expect Paraphrasing in your inbox every other Tuesday, chock full of:
Musings on whatever is top of mind
Good things I/others found on the internet
What I am currently reading & enjoying
A jam (a song, a bop if you will)
I might publish some longer singular topic posts, but who knows what the future holds! I can barely imagine 6 months from now.
Thank you for being here. Here goes nothing!
good things on the internet
Horror movie recap podcast Too Scary Didn’t Watch. I used to just read Wikipedia articles to find out what happens in scary movies, because life provides enough frightening visuals for my brain but I am interested in the story and message. This is better. 👻
Slog AM from Seattle’s alt The Stranger. I got into the habit of reading their daily news round-up when COVID hit, and it is something I genuinely look forward to reading when I wake up. 📰
A mesmerizing ballet of noodle making (also, vermicelli noodles are apparently made from potatoes??) 🍜
I’ve been singing Black Forager’s body affirmations in my head all week 🤗
Mid Mod Molly’s “leave or take” thrifting game on her insta stories 🔥
currently reading
Pirates! by Celia Rees this was one of my favorite books in the teen section of the Berkley, Michigan library, and I stand by that. For fans of historical YA fiction with 2 strong female protagonists. Trigger warning, horrific descriptions of 18th century slavery.
This New York Times Magazine piece by Jon Mooallem was a grounding reminder that, though the pandemic hasn’t ended, we’ve come a long way from the uncertainty and grief of 2020. What I think is missing, still, is the space to process it.
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. “She would not say of any one in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged. She sliced like a knife through everything; at the same time was outside, looking on.”
this week’s jam
photo of my cats
Meet Kerouac (as in Jack) & Muir (as in John, and my Nana), the 7 1/2 year old tabby cats that I share with my partner. They are mischievous litter mates with vibrant personalities, and an endless sense of joy (and occasional frustration) in my life. As a lil’ treat for making it to the end of each newsletter, I will reward you with an adorable image of Kerouac, Muir, or both of them together. You’re welcome.
