(Feel free to open in your browser, if receiving via email.)
to read: essays, articles
Searching for Other Feminisms: An Interview with Leah Libresco Sargeant — Gracy Olmstead, Mere Orthodoxy — I've enjoyed Leah’s substack community & Gracy’s monthly newsletter — so it's a fabulous thing to see one interviewing the other here — on the topics of interdependence, making space for women’s embodiment in the workforce, creative third-way options for how we talk about abortion outside of generic Republican & Democrat voices, and other wise and challenging food for thought.
“I think mainstream feminism doesn’t treat the gap between the number of children women want and the children they have as a serious problem—a problem in need of policy situations and concern as much so as the wage gap. Both are important. But for all the discussion we have about abortion, you’d think people are having too many children they don’t want. But women have way fewer children than they want, and that’s every bit as deserving of conferences, policy papers, and questions at debates, as the pay gap.”
Renting Wombs, Rending Hearts: The Dark Realities of Surrogacy — Grace Emily Stark, Verily — I appreciated this ethical deep-dive into various aspects of surrogacy, usually veiled from public view.
You Can't Go Home Again — Zito Madu, Plough — “My father has no need to write down his memories and probably never will. I think that as a community man, he understands that he is part of a larger story and a collective memory that is contained with him but also supersedes him. He has no fear that the story will disappear with him, because the story is the people as a whole.”
To My Prodigal Son — Karen Abeyta, Fathom — This poem won’t leave my mind any time soon.
”but, surely
if I had gotten
the nightly devotional
right and kept you from
those PG-13 movies…
If I were less like a piece
of cardboard
and more like Christ
You would want Him”An American Lent: It’s time for evangelicalism to embrace the act of confession — Skye Jethani, RNS — “I sense that need in my own soul, and perhaps such a season will cause all of us to take seriously Jesus’ command to remove the log from our own eye rather than focus on the speck in our brother’s.”
to read: books
Virga & Bone: Essays from Dry Places, Craig Childs — audio — Some lovely reflections and observations from the nature & life found in the desert. This was in a collection of “waking books” books someone shared and was gathering requests for. An enjoyable palette-cleanser from any intense story lines or non-fiction information, but nothing I would rush to recommend.
to watch
Dependence: An Online Conversation — Plough — It’s so fun when Plough hosts these conversations to further discuss published pieces with the authors. This was for Leah’s Libresco’s Dependence: Toward an Illiberalism of the Weak.
Class Action Park Documentary — HBO Max — Something light(ish) and ridiculously crazy, if you need it.
to listen: music
If Beale Street Could Talk (Original Motion Picture Score) — Nicholas Britell — Lovely music for a gorgeous film. Jakob put this on during my labor with Ezra and it was perfect. It’s also got that good romantic vibe, if you need that.
Tenderness — Tony Anderson — His music is other-worldly in its beauty. Some of the only instrumental music that can bring me to tears. (I highly recommend his score for the film The Heart of Man. Have listened to it more times than I can count in recent years.)
to listen: audio
Your Style and the Theology of the Body — Fountains of Carrots — Haley Stewart is one of my favorite Catholics on the internet. This was a fun episode. (In the past, I found interesting and helpful her discussion on Catholic Social Teaching through the lives of female saints.)
to cook
Kheer (rice pudding) — Remembering an East Indian family's desert growing up, I decided to make a poor man's version today — leftover rice, milk, honey, cinnamon/nutmeg/vanilla. heat that baby up and enjoy. (The actual recipes I've seen, including this one, look very good and I ought to try them properly sometime.)
Oatmeal Scotchies — These are made once a month or so in our house. I use this recipe from the back of the bag.
to celebrate
My mother-in-law and a brother-in-law celebrated birthdays this week!
to remember, reflect
A Year Ago…
We had recently moved to Long Island, Ezra turned two months old, and my parents were visiting from Minnesota over Valentine’s Week. We snuck in a date to a pub house in Port Jefferson, and missed our little guy a lot.
This Week…
I discovered google chrome reader view extension. It’s is a game-changer for those who enjoy reading online, but are understandably distracted by all the flashing, colorful, obnoxious ads that come along with what you’re reading.
Our twice a month ladies night ended up being the last one before baby. After two virgin mango margaritas, I went on a late-night grocery run while Ezra was home with Jakob. Only when I was almost done shopping did I realize I had NO MASK ON. Nobody said anything to me! They probably thought, 1) oh she’s pregnant so must have a medical reason 2) maybe she’s a confrontational anti-masker 3) it’s quiet & after 10pm I don’t give a heck.
We had brunch with our quarantine-pod families and their kids, and it was more fun than a date with just the two of us. (Stay tuned for more on what happened after we left that afternoon.)
Regarding Valentines’ Day, here’s a sweet read about finding love on Twitter and helping others do the same. (Jakob and I somehow managed to meet and marry because of Twitter, too. and generally love when people find love, no matter how it happens.)
The article mentions lover-poets Evan and Rachel Welcher, and I’ve enjoyed their beautiful writing. Over Advent, I read Evan Welcher’s Advent, a thread in the night. Over Lent this year (starting this upcoming week) I plan to read Rachel Joy Welcher’s Two Funerals, Then Easter.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…”
Phillippians 2:3-5