Weekly Roundup: March 18, 2022

I consider these little weekly roundups a journal of sorts (though I also keep a journal). Maybe one day I’ll want to see what I was thinking about in a given week. Or not. I don’t think I’ve ever gone back and read an old journal. The writing is the point, isn’t it?

Quote of the week:
“Quiet people have the loudest minds.” –Stephen Hawking
(Most people describe me as “quiet,” though I can be quite loud and expressive around certain people. But, yes, my brain is always very loud. I suppose I’m quiet externally to balance the internal cacophony. It’s been particularly loud lately. Too much going on for my liking.)

What I’m reading:
The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz. I’ve been really into researching why we’ve come to see certain family structures and lifestyles as “normal.” This book is interesting. It sheds light on why certain dynamics have come to be and questions the definitions of “good” and “right.”

I also read a great book of poetry this week— I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy by Hafiz (translated/articulated by Daniel Ladinsky).

What I’m listening to:
I’m bouncing between two audiobooks right now:

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister. I’m very interested in female rage lately and the good that can come from it.

Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is Your Hidden Strength by Laurie Helgoe. I’m a sucker for any books about introversion. So validating.

What I’m watching:
Portrait of a Lady on Fire – this is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time, and definitely in my top 5 favorite movies about love. Beautiful.

Writing news:
Promotion for Ways the World Could End is ramping up (I’m not stressed? Do I seem stressed?? DO I?), so I should have some interviews/essays to share soon on that front. I’m really into writing my new novel lately, which is still title-less. I have had so little time, which is making me angsty.

What I’m talking about:

The ongoing Ukraine situation. It breaks my heart to see Zelensky asking the US for more aid. It’s just all terrible and I wish there was more we could do without this becoming World War IIIThe next Covid surge. Europe is in the midst of a surge right now, so we will likely be a few weeks behind. Sigh. One of the experts I follow said to stock up on tests, so I did that (you can get a second set of 4 Covid tests here if you haven’t already)The general strangeness of life and how people come into your orbit just when you need them. I don’t consider myself a very woo-woo person, but this past year has made me more open

Interesting things I learned this week:

This year’s Boston Marathon will be the 50th anniversary of women being able to participateCleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than she did to the building of the Great PyramidSaudi Arabia imports camels from AustraliaThe percentage of introverts in the population is actually 50%, according to the most robust studies on the subject (people tend to think it’s more like 30%). In the US, there is extraversion bias so extroverts tend to be given greater prominence

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Midori violinist.” I had the opportunity to see her perform this past week and it was amazing. I wanted to learn more about her. Wikipedia tells me she shares a birthday with my dad.

What I’m grateful for:

20-mile run complete. I’m ready to be done with Boston Marathon training. I’m starting to daydream about a significant resting phase after this raceConnecting with people who make me feel alive

A few snapshots from this week:

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