Week 43 (2021)
children of academics & pro-life feminism, sharing food & seeing others, childcare & housing
(Open in your browser — emails cut off at the end!)
to read: essays, articles
Erika Bachiochi On The Future Of Pro-Life Feminism — Serena Sigillito, The Public Discourse — An interview I found worth the time to soak in. Looking forward to reading Erika’s book in the future.
“More still, as perhaps we’re growing more aware, relying on abortion for women’s equality in our country has disincentivized employers and other public institutions from supporting women who are mothers—and caregiving families more generally—in real and concrete ways.”
Our Children And Our Citations — Mary Townsend, Plough — “It’s possible that academics are merely vocalizing what others only wish they could they could say. Coffee shop people will give you the stink-eye if you walk in with an infant; the senior academic will tell you to your face you’ve ruined your life.”
Stories Within The Soup — Grace Chan, Ekstasis — “And as I share this soup to three faculty members, none from Malaysia and all from different walks of life; as its earthy, hearty flavours filled up the small seminar room, I am reminded of how Jesus shared His story: sometimes over the hills to thousands, but most of the time, over dinner tables with friends and strangers.”
High Visibility — Aaron New, Fathom — “Chances are we all know people who are struggling under the heavy burden of obscurity. Somewhere there is a person hiding in the darkness of shame. Somewhere there is a person feeling alone in the haze of grief. Somewhere there is a person rejected and abandoned and ostracized. Somewhere there is a person craving social connection but feeling invisible.”
Love, Money, Or Desperation — Michael Herriges, Strong Towns — “It’s nice to imagine that there is some miraculous policy blueprint. But that’s not how a movement premised on incrementalism is going to grow. It will need to be nurtured, encouraged, nudged along by many people in many places. We’re going to have to plant a lot of seeds. That messy, bottom-up work is likely to bear more fruit, ultimately, than any attainable tweaks to public policy will in the absence of that work.”
Child Care Plan Will Spike Prices For The Middle Class By $13,000 — Matt Bruenig, Peoples’s Policy Project — “This is obviously a perverse outcome and it’s not clear whether lawmakers even realize what they are about to do.”
to read: books
Kitchens Of The Great Midwest, J. Ryan Stradal — audio — Having grown up in Minnesota, the setting of this novel, I laughed out loud several times. At times a bit grittier & more vulgar than I typically care for in a book, but overall a unique and fun set of connected stories.
to watch
Dependence & Dignity — “…human dignity is not a matter of our capacity, but our willingness to accept and offer aid to each other.” (the book discussed, and her related essay, Dependence.)
Dads On Duty — “…a group of dads decided to show up not just for their kids, but for the whole student body, to help maintain a positive environment.”
to listen: music
I Know I'm Funny haha — Faye Webster
to listen: audio
Housing — The Bottom-Up Revolution, Strong Towns
Getting Out The Door (short series) — Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi
to cook
Toffee Bits Chocolate Cookies — The recipe on the back of the bag is amazing. Under-bake them a little.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup — We always add bell peppers, as we do to most things.
to remember, reflect
A Year Ago...
Jakob turns my favorite errand-buddy into a model, and our family discovers huge beach rocks.
This Week...
The last of the warm days. The vibes of rainy days. Farmer’s market & meeting the local shoe store owner. Unceasing food & house messes. Enormous amounts of diapers & wipes. New lip color & diffusing oils for me. Making efforts to find our people. Libraries that are mostly places for an energetic one year-old to run. Local goat milk soap & lunch out with the babies. Dignifying go-to’s for the homeless always among us. And a crawling baby alert — 2 under 2 just got more wild.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace”
1 Peter 4:10