MYSTICS, INTENSITY, AND WISE WISE WORDS

LIFE OF A BOOKMAN

Bookman: 1. a person who has a love of books and especially of reading. 2. a person who is involved in the writing, publishing, or selling of books. Oh, hi that's me!!

A Work of Staggering Intensity: Upon the strong urging of one of my dearest, most bookwormy, and brilliant friends, I read A MAN by Oriana Fallaci, published in 1979. Fallaci was a renowned political reporter and war correspondent, and this book tell the story of Alexandros Panagoulis, a Greek resistance fighter who fought against the military junta in Greece, and with whom Fallaci had a profound relationship. It's a love story. It's deeply political. It's intense. It's moving. And it weaves this all together with reflection on resistance, courage, death and the fight for freedom. Or as described via by my galpal when I texted her from 30 pages in, “Yes it's a book which can make a girl a woman.”

On another note – I'm getting REALLY interested in the books that we've forgotten about. Books that mattered to entire generations of women before my time, like Fallaci's bestseller A Man. Respond if you'd like to go on a little Lost Library journey together!

What I'm writing: That Second Novel is getting out of outlining mode and into writing mode! I have some words of a prologue down, and I'm excited to keep going. Into the world of the most famous astrologer of the 1900s that you've never heard of, we go.

WOMEN’S STUDIES

What gets passed down becomes our history. A few for the canon:

I haven't spent a lot of time with medieval Christian mystics, but maybe I should!? I stumbled across this amazing podcast episode, “How to Feel Alive,” which sent me head first into Marguerite Porete's world – who was writing about god and the divine in the early 1300s, including her book The Mirror of Simple Souls, which she was burned at the stake for in 1310.

What's wild is that women like Marguerite were totally locked out of formal theological education back then. But instead of letting that stop them, they were like “Cool cool, I'll just have my own direct spiritual experiences and write about those!” While the men were in their libraries debating theory, these women were out here having profound mystical encounters and documenting them firsthand. No intermediaries, no formal training - just pure, unfiltered spiritual connection. She didn't need no middleman (or any man) to have a relationship with god. No wonder they were seen as threatening.

Speaking of women taking no shit (or rather, taking a lot of shit and not letting it stop them), someone very dear to me sent this podcast Why She Stayed – a show about what really goes on in violent domestic relationships and discusses what this abuse looks like, sounds like and feels like so people can recognize it, have education, and if needed...leave. It's tough, not for everyone, but really good awareness for yourself or those you love.

PASS IT ON

Stories are heirlooms. Here's one of mine:

I was at mass last week to celebrate the life of one of my BFF's mothers. The priest said something about supporting those she left behind that I don't think I'll ever forget: “We can't take away their pain, but we can share it.”

We cannot take away their pain.

But we can show up to share it.

It's a powerful reminder that no matter what our loved ones are going through, no matter what loss is crossing the threshold of their home, no matter what pain we or others are feeling...we have the power to help carry their hurt. By checking in. By showing up. By holding onto that hug a little longer. By witnessing and acknowledging their experience. By listening. By simply being present.

And the same can be said of joy, too.

Woman on xx